Kaati Rocketts' Journal of Fantastic Extraordinariness

Weeds in Colorado

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 19:16:00 +0000

{EAV_BLOG_VER:4877aaee83fc2d37}

Spring in Colorado has been beautiful. My garden is taking off, but so are the weeds. I'm having a hard time keeping up with them, especially in the flower beds. I'd like find a natural, organic way to get rid of weeds. I've heard that improving the soil and mulching regularly will keep weeds down, but my soil is doing great and I've still got tons of weeds. There is no way I'm going to cover my garden in harsh chemicals. I'm going to keep working the soil and I'll do another round of compost teas this summer, but I wish there was an easy solution.

Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market: Inspiration Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:00:00 +0000

My little green pillow was featured on the Horseshoe blog this morning!

Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market: Inspiration Monday: "We are inspired by this first day back to school! And by a weather forecast we heard that it's supposed to get cooler in Denver this week! S..."

My Holiday Garland in "Holiday Crafts" Magazine!

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:27:00 +0000

My "Modern Holiday Garland" is currently featured in Better Homes and Gardens' "Holiday Crafts" magazine available at newsstands everywhere! It's pretty much the coolest thing that has ever happened to me in the world of crafting. I feel like a million bucks every time I open the magazine (several times an hour) and see my garland (pg. 56) or my face (pg. 61.)

Lately, I've been slacking on the crafts because I've been so busy with my home staging company, but this has given me renewed motivation to spend the evenings crafting and creating. So, I'll be adding more garlands to my shop in the next few weeks.

In case you're worried that this monumental, earth-shattering success is going to my head, have no fear. I'm verrrrrrrrry humble. Even though I carry the magazine with me everywhere I go, I only show it to people who speak to me, or in some cases, smile in my general direction. :)

Just a reminder...

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Fri, 07 May 2010 20:29:00 +0000

Yep. Life is good.

Between You and Me: Personal Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:16:00 +0000

I purchased this lovely hat from Libby at kreativedesigner.etsy.com. I purchased from Libby because she is someone that I have had the good fortune to get to know in this ethereal world of the internet. Libby is a fellow member of an online networking group (Etsy Artists of Color) and she regularly comments on my blog. I've appreciated getting to know her and that is why when the time came to make a purchase, I made it from her.

When the package arrived, I was so excited to open it and, of course, the hat was lovely. But, there were extras, too! A crocheted face scrubbie and some information about a cool, environmental education project to do with kids (because Libby knew I was interested in learning more about this project.) And, there it is, the magic of buying handmade from someone you know. The connections are so much deeper.

I could easily have gone to Target or Ross and purchased a hat (those of you who know me well know that is entirely untrue because I would have gone to the thrift store,) but purchasing from the big box retailers is so impersonal. It seems a small paradox that purchasing a hat from someone at register where I will have a real face-to-face interaction is far less personal than the long-distance interactions I've had with Libby.

My grandfather recently recommended a delightful little movie, "84 Charing Cross Road," to me. In that movie, a woman in New York strikes up a long-distance relationship with a bookseller in London. Over the years their friendship grows into something profound without ever having met face to face. This is the magic of buying handmade items from people I have not met in person. It's personal. The items were made from the creativity that resides in their soul. They make the items because they want to, because it is what they are passionate about. The same cannot be said for most items from the big box stores.

I've been wearing my hat on the cold days and I love it. In fact, I think I look adorable when I'm wearing my special red hat. Here are some other items for sale in Libby's shop:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41636516

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29725703

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=31196468

Creativity: Work through the Pain

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:22:00 +0000

Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. ~ Calvin Coolidge

Sometimes, I hit a brick wall. I've been producing items for my shop and home every day this month and it has been awesome to stay so dedicated. But, yesterday, I was feeling really down about a difficult situation that I have to deal with in my personal life. I was feeling so down, I didn't want to sew or crochet or write my blog. Those all seemed like silly, cotton-candy things in a world full of problems. I just wanted to lie down.

Instead of giving in to this urge, I decided to start painting some new fabric for my new shop: Modern Queen Vicky (Victorian inspired hand-painted fabrics with a modern twist.) Drawing the pattern, mixing the colors, putting the brush to the fabric: all of these things were healing and nurturing to my soul. Here's the project I started:

And, as I worked, I hummed and sang a song that I learned in The Spirituals Project choir: "Keep on travellin' soldier. Keep your hand on the plow. Keep on travellin' soldier, don't you give up, not right now!"

And, as the title of this blog post suggests, I worked through the pain :), like these fine ladies do:

Old Things

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:23:00 +0000

Last week, I thought about old things. Our culture isn't particularly interested in old things. Just take a look at the landfills. I thoroughly enjoy reclaiming old stuff to use in new and different ways; repurposing, upcycling, and recyling are all my bag, baby.

I enjoyed three wonderful, old things last week:
1. I bought an old sweater from Goodwill that was obviously crafted by a person, not a factory. I love the idea of buying homemade items from the thrift store. It's nice to buy an item that was never in the mainstream stream of commerce, something that didn't come from China.

2. I finally started reading an old book I have been carrying around for the last few weeks. I bought this book, "Run, River Run," from the Denver Public Library when I worked at the Library Cafe a few years ago. It is a memoir of a naturalist's journey down the Green River. I decided to research a bit about the book and found out that the author lives in Colorado Springs, my hometown, just down the road, and that she sometimes teaches courses at Colorado College. She wrote "Run, River Run" in 1971. So, now, I'm really excited to read this book and to hopefully speak to her about it when I'm done. I'd like to do an "old book" review on my blog and I hope she'll let me interview her. I've added the book to my book carousel (on the main page,) if you'd like to check it out.

3. I made a pet bed for my little dog from our old t-shirts.

It took six t-shirts and a couple of hours to make.

It's honestly a little small for her. So, she crushes the sides down a little.

I still have to make a soft pillow. But she likes to lie on it as it is. I plan to make another bigger bed for her, then I'll stick this one in her kennel.

Creativity: Reduce, Reuse, Upcyle

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:41:00 +0000

My new glass slippers are featured in this treasury: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=112977

My mom recently bought for me a beautiful selection of antique linens at an estate sale. Included with these were a set of beautifully delicate linen and lace glass slippers. I loved them so much I decided to use them as inspiration. My new glass slippers reuse interior design fabric sample/swatches. I'm having a great time making them and will be listing more in my shop this afternoon.

Tuesday Tips: Don't be so bottled up. You've got to tap your potential.

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:28:00 +0000

The following is an article by David over at The Good Human. He makes excellent points about the environmental impacts of drinking bottled water. My Tuesday Tip this week: follow his advice!

~12 Reasons To Stop Drinking Bottled Water.~

It is a common misconception for many people that bottled water is safer than tap, plastic bottles get recycled, and no harm is being done to the environment in the bottling process. Unfortunately, that could not be further from the truth! So in case you either needed more reasons to stop drinking bottled water, or a few extra talking points when discussing with your friends, I have assembled 12 solid reasons to kick the bottled water habit:

American tap water is among the safest in the world.
As much as 40% of the bottled water sold in the U.S. is just filtered tap water anyway. Be sure to check the label and look for “from a municipal source” or “community water system”, which just means it is tap water.
By drinking tap water, you can avoid the fertilizer, pharmaceuticals, disinfectants, and other chemicals that studies have found in bottled water.
Tap water costs about $0.002 per gallon compared to the $0.89 to $8.26 per gallon charge for bottled water. If the water we use at home cost what even cheap bottled water costs, our monthly water bills would run $9,000.
88% of empty plastic water bottles in the United States are not recycled. The Container Recycling Institute says that plastic water bottles are disposed of (not recycled) at the rate of 30 million a day.
Plastic bottles can leach chemicals into the water if left in the sun, heated up, or reused several times.
Production of the plastic (PET or polyethylene) bottles to meet our demand for bottled water takes the equivalent of about 17.6 million barrels of oil (not including transportation costs). That equals the amount of oil required to fuel more than one million vehicles in the U.S. each year. Around the world, bottling water uses about 2.7 million tons of plastic…each year.
Bottled water companies mislead communities into giving away their public water in exchange for dangerous jobs.
It can take nearly 7 times the amount of water in the bottle to actually make the bottle itself.
On a weekly basis, 37,800 18-wheelers are driving around the country delivering water.
The EPA sets much more stringent quality standards for tap water than the FDA does for the bottled stuff.
One out of 6 people in the world does not have safe drinking water, and about 3,000 children a day die from diseases caught from bad water…that we know of. This while Americans spend about $16 billion a year on bottled water.
Have you kicked the bottled water habit? We finally did a few years ago, when we started using reusable bottles and filtered tap water from our house. So what do you think? Think we can encourage more people to get rid of their bottled water?

Snow Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:29:00 +0000

A few photos of the view from my front window:

The Pursuit: How Cheap Can You Be? $2,500 Kitchen Remodel

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:43:00 +0000

When my husband and I bought our little outdated (Some would say "hovel-like.") c. 1950 home, I could see the clouds of doubt passing behind our loved ones' eyes. It really did look terrible. But, I am known for my incredible cheapness (I would say "thrifty genius.") and I could see the potential in this little place. What follows is a slideshow of our almost completed $2,500 kitchen renovation (and, yes, that includes the appliances.)

Almost everything in this remodel was secondhand, recycled or upcycled. (The employees at the Habitat for Humanity outlet store know me and expect for me to haggle.) We did all of the work ourselves and sometimes our friends and family pitched in, too. We're proud of what we achieved for so little money. We know there is still more to do, but it's soooooo much better than it was.

Monday Book Review: Made from Scratch

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 19:02:00 +0000

I can imagine that it must difficult to walk the line between engaging memoir writing and obtuse preachiness when you are trying to make the world a better place through living a sustainable lifestyle (I often wonder just how annoying my blog posts are for that exact reason); this quandary becomes painfully obvious at several points in "Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life." In this book, Jenna Woginrich writes about her love of all things handmade and her day-to-day pursuit of hobby farming/urban homesteading.

This is a lovely, little book with many positive thoughts and humorous quotes and, overall, I would say it is a delightful lazy weekend read. But, there were those moments when I found it nearly unbearable to read about Jenna's interest in, say, dog sledding or her particular feelings about what antiques she and her twenty-something friends feel are cool to buy. If all of the sustainable pursuits described in her book were necessary to living sustainably, the pill might have been easier to swallow.

Pursuing a handmade, sustainable life is a noteworthy achievement, especially for a twenty-six year old child of the world's most consumer culture. I applaud Ms. Woginrich's efforts. But, I must note, giving advice on how to be a successful beekeeper, even though she has not yet been successful as a beekeeper, seems a bit absurd.

The author relates her mistakes and disasters in a delightfully, vulnerable prose that is most definitely endearing, but she errs when she assumes that her readers either want to do what she is doing or are twelve-year olds who have not already done so. The preachy tone, at points, overshadowed the valuable resources and information that Ms. Woginrich included in her manifesto.

All in all, I'd give "Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life" a solid B+. Although the fixings may have been over-salted at points, the meal was sustainably harvested and made from scratch.

Tuesday Tips: Enough with the Vinegar Already!

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:48:00 +0000

So, I know I've gone on too much about the wonders of vinegar (to everyone who will listen,) but, really, can you think of anything more amazing than this:

"Turn a chicken bone into rubber by soaking it in a
glass of vinegar for three days. It will bend like
rubber."

You might wonder what possible use you could have for such a fact? I've got a couple of ideas. Perhaps you could craft a nice pair of earrings for your mother-in-law, "blessed" by a voodoo priest? Or, make a trick wishbone to fool your nieces next Thanksgiving?

On the serious side, vinegar is my most favorite household cleaner and fixer of miscellaneous problems. I've used it as a drain cleaner, fabric softener, air freshener, carpet cleaner, stain remover, wood floor cleaner, ant repellent, etc, etc. I've included some links below to various vinegar sites. There are a myriad of uses for this wonder liquid. If you have a wonderful use for vinegar, please share it in the comments.

This will be my last vinegar post for a long while. I think I've said enough.

http://odyb.net/food-cooking/62-little-known-uses-of-vinegar/

http://www.angelfire.com/cantina/homemaking/vinegar.html

http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/problems/treating/uses-for-vinegar-beauty-and-relaxation-ga.htm

Creativity: "I saw it in the window and I just couldn't resist it!"

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:10:00 +0000

New Handbag

Kitchen Curtains

My family has a longstanding love of silly things. Growing up we watched Carol Burnett Show Specials (on vhs,) as a whole family, laughing uncontrollably at skits we'd seen dozens of times before. One of our favorites was Carol Burnett as "Scarlett O' Hara" wearing the drapes of her antebellum mansion as a beautiful "gown." (Note: This clip won't be funny unless you've seen "Gone with the Wind" and, even then, it might not be funny unless you're hanging out with your nerdy family wearing matching outfits with your sister who is six years younger than you.)

Because of all those silly family viewing parties, I've long wanted to make a dress from my drapes. Last week I settled for a handbag. I had some fabric left from the curtains I sewed with a friend of mine, last summer, and decided it was perfect! I made a lined handbag for everyday use that I love, love, love. (Another friend of mine, had recently pointed out that I'd been using the same canvas tote for five years and, perhaps, I should consider a new bag. Needless to say, my old bag looked like Scarlett's tattered dress.)

So, now, if anyone should ask where I found my new bag, I'll, of course, respond, in my best southern belle drawl, "I saw it in the window and I just couldn't resist it."

Instant Karma in the Form of Vegetables

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:36:00 +0000

I love to volunteer. I've been doing it for years and I can truly say, time and time again, the rewards far outweigh the time investment (That's not to say I haven't had a couple of bad experiences. I can think of two right now. But, it's just like anything some bad, but mostly good.) Once you become a volunteer, you can't help but talk about it because you want others to share the joy and rewards of helping.

The organization I volunteer with now, Operation Frontline, teaches healthy nutrition and cooking skills to underserved populations. I assist with the classes by packing take-home meal bags, helping the students as they prepare recipes, doing dishes and eating the food they prepare. That's right. I get to eat delicious food at the end of every class. Sometimes, I feel the reward is much larger than the labor. The food is so good and so healthy, the people I work with so kind and the students so appreciative. You really can't ask for more.

Yesterday we made an eggplant stir-fry and roasted root vegetables. I'm a huge fan of roasted veggies. If you haven't tried roasted turnips or parsnips, you haven't truly lived. Ok. That might be a slight exaggeration, but not really. We cut turnips, parsnips, beets, carrots and rutabaga into even sized chunks doused lightly with olive oil and a few shakes of salt and pepper and roasted in the oven. Try it. You'll like it.

And, please, consider volunteering with Operation Front Line in your area. You'll get the satisfaction of knowing you truly are making a difference and instant karma in the form of happy faces and delicious food.

http://strength.org/operation_frontline/

The Pursuit: Trying to Do Better without Behaving Like an Ass

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:12:00 +0000

No one can be good all of the time. And, more interestingly, being good can sometimes be bad. For instance, sometimes when visiting relatives or friends, they may use paper plates, paper towels (in the bathroom even!), paper napkins, etc. But, I would be a horrible ass if I were to a) state out loud to the people who are giving me a free place to stay and providing me with delicious meals that paper plates are wasteful or b) refuse to use the paper plates and throw an environmental hissy-fit. Both of those options are absolutely inexcusable in my book.

That's not to say that I wouldn't have made a scene ten years ago or last month at my mom's house (because she expects it from me.) I've been there. I've railed against American excess and wastefulness. I've loudly lamented the disposable, consumer society we live in. And, really, all that resulted from my loud protests was me looking like an ungrateful punk.

In my experience, the only way to truly be a good environmental example is to do just that. I try to do the best I can in my own life and, hopefully, at some point, some of it rubs off on other people. I'm still going to speak my mind about excess and wastefulness like the goody-goody that I am, but I'll keep my audience in mind and mostly preach to the choir or to small children who can be easily brainwashed.

Tuesday Tips: My clothes are soft and they don't smell like vinegar.

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:30:00 +0000

I am a big extoller of the merits of vinegar. I love to use it to make cleaning potions and to solve household problems. Growing up my mom would clean the coffee pot every once in a long while by running it through a cycle filled with vinegar. That process, if you've never tried it, has an incredible aroma that cannot be called pleasant. So, that was my solitary experience with vinegar as a household miracle worker, and it stunk.

But, a few years ago, I decided I didn't want to pay exorbitant prices for "green" cleaners and started researching my options. I love, love, love reading books about the olden days so I knew vinegar used to be a common cleaning agent, but I didn't fully understand its powers. Flash forward to today, and I'm all over it, baby!

In the upcoming weeks, I'll share my common (and uncommon) uses for vinegar starting with one of my favorites: Laundry Softener. I fill the liquid softener cup on my machine with white vinegar, add a few drops of essential oil (usually lavender,) and wash. That's it. Couldn't be simpler. My clothes are soft, fresh and don't ever smell like vinegar. I can see your raised eyebrows from here, but trust me, it works, it's cheap and you know exactly what you're wearing against your skin all day every day.

Creativity: Ultimate Risk-taking

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:09:00 +0000

As a member of the Etsy Artists of Color Team, I decided to participate in the January challenge to reinterpret something that is already for sale in my Etsy shop. I had already had it in mind to do another set of these coasters, but wanted to choose new colors. I love the other set, but they remind me of harvest and pumpkins. I decided to take a risk with the new set. I used pink. A new year with new challenges will undoubtedly require some risk-taking on my part. So, here it is, brazenly announced to the world, "I've used pink yarn and I am not ashamed."

The Pursuit: Trying to Do Better Every Day

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:03:00 +0000

A few thoughts about trying to do better:

Sometimes it hits me like a lightening bolt, I can’t believe I didn’t notice something so obvious. A behavior so completely counter to the sustainable lifestyle will be right in front of me and I’ve been doing it for years. There aren’t as many of those moments anymore. But, I’m still confronted with the fact that it is a challenge to live sustainably.

The challenge of living sustainably often creates an inner conflict. There is an element of puritanical behavior in sustainable living that makes me sometimes want to fly in the face of my own ethics and throw some shit away without even worrying if it's recyclable or reusable. But, of course, those moments are brief. I quickly realize that I am just being myself by pursuing this lifestyle. It's what I actually like. I don't preach to people so, at least, I'm not a puritan preacher. And, I can be somewhat pagan when it comes to plants. So there!

I realized last night that my family uses disposable, plastic sandwich bags to bring sandwiches to work and school. I didn’t really ever think about it because I eat at home and they pack their own lunches. Seriously, why have I not made reusable sandwich bags for lunches? We spurn paper napkins and paper towels because of their disposable nature; we use cloth. But at least paper napkins are biodegradable! So, there it is, another moment where I find myself feeling like a hypocrite. There is so much to do better. I’ll keep trying.

In the pursuit of sustainability, I have been gardening for years. Each year I grow my garden a little bit more. I dream that someday the food I grow in the summer will last through the winter, but I’m not there, yet. I’m trying to be as local as I can by growing food myself and buying from a local farm all summer long, but winter comes and I still haven’t reached the level of squirrelness that I seek. Not enough nuts and acorns to get through the winter.

I love lemons. They don’t grow locally in Colorado. So, I guiltily buy bags of them from the grocery store. Other women fantasize about a dream house with a beautiful master suite with a walk-in closet (I know this is true because I’ve seen them on HGTV) while I dream of a greenhouse with lemon trees and lots of other wonderful rarities. I once read that you can grow vanilla beans in a greenhouse. How awesome would that be!?

If I were lucky enough for life to give me lemons, I would make something better than lemonade, I’d make lemon-basil margaritas.

Next sustainable pursuit: chickens. I’ve wanted a chicken coop since I was old enough to read “Back to Basics” and I’m going to have one filled with chickens if it’s the last thing I do! I’ll be researching (and documenting that research in the journal) through the winter and would love suggestions and advice on how to proceed.

Tuesday Tips: Natural Ways to Clear the Air

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:45:00 +0000

I'm a continual experimenter with essential oils and vinegar. My husband can pretty much expect that my solutions to almost every household problem will include vinegar. But, surprisingly, my air freshening tips do not.

While I was perusing in the book store last week, I stumbled upon this little gem: Put a few drops of essential oil on a cotton ball and place it in your vacuum cleaner bag. Every time you vacuum it will freshen the room. (I don't remember what book I was perusing. I'm pretty sure it was published by Reader's Digest.) I tried it. It works. I put about 5 drops of eucalyptus essential oil on a cotton ball, stuffed it in a new bag (it was time to change it anyway,) and started vacuuming. The whole room smelled glorious.

My other smell freshening tip is simple. Get a spray bottle. Fill it with water. Drop in a few or more drops of your favorite essential oils. (Mine are lavender, eucalyptus and peppermint.) Spray when the need arises. One thing I will say about this natural alternative: it doesn't hang in the air for long, but it does clear out a bad smell.

Happy smelling!

Monday Movie Review: Thought for Food

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:26:00 +0000

This weekend my husband and I watched, Food, Inc. a well-done documentary, if a bit limited in scope. The basic premise of promoting consumer awareness about the origins of the foods we buy is a good one. The work done by Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollan in this area is undeniably the most important food-related consumer-awareness promotion of recent years. Their combined written works and films have given us a body of information on this subject that no longer allows us to claim ignorance.

Food, Inc. takes us through the agricultural factory system now in place in the United States. The idea that food comes from pretty, little farms is, of course, proven to be a conceived national mythology of the worst sort. The majority of food now comes from factory farms which bare little resemblance to the farms of yore or the farms prominently featured on most food packaging.

For those of us, who already know about CAFO’s and Monsanto, the film was just another stunning reminder, a renewed slap in the face, of the incredible importance of fighting this system. Fighting seems a strong term, but really, it is a fight. I fight with my compost and garden tools. Others fight with their reusable shopping bags at the farmer’s market.

Unfortunately, the fight is often seen as a Starbucks/liberal elitist fight against the masses. But, truly, it is the opposite. The food that is sold to lower-income communities in this country is abominable. If I were a conspiracy theorist, I would think that the food factories made a deal with the health factories to keep them supplied with diabetic, overweight people far into the future.

For the future to be different, food will have to be different. Food Inc. should be required viewing for every citizen or, at least, for every student. It is imperative that this system be uprooted. And this is where I think the film could have done better. The solutions are a brief afterthought. A common problem with the environmental movement and many movements in general: here are the problems, they are terrible, it will take a monumental effort to change them…buy local and organic. While I don’t disagree with buying local and organic, it’s my preferred method as well, I want to hear about more options and more ways to change our food system.

Also, Food, Inc. did not do enough to highlight the environmental degradation caused by our current agricultural system. In the words of one of my most favorite historical figures, George Washington Carver, “A nation can only last as long as its topsoil.” The current system is quickly destroying our nation’s topsoil with no remedies in place for the future.

All in all, Food, Inc. is another valuable asset to the stock library of food education. I hope that those who need to see it most will be given the opportunity.

p.s. I've included some of my favorite food awareness reading and viewing in my Amazon picks.

Mindful Monday Gift Guide #4

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:21:00 +0000

Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Practice Peace Pendant by 7dials:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=36210155

Happy Holiday Treasury!

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:57:00 +0000

If you want to be happy, be. ~Leo Tolstoy

Check out my treasury filled with items from the Etsy Artists of Color Street Team:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=99090

Mindful Monday Gift Guide #3

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:18:00 +0000

When we tug at a single thing in nature, we find it attached to the rest of the world.~John Muir

A beautiful, happy day would start with packing a lunch into a reusable sandwich bag. So, when you give this gift you're giving the gift of a happy day!

1 Monkey Reusable Sandwich Bag and 2 Napkins SET by BEBELOOSH on Etsy:
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35795737

Einstein was a Man

noreply@blogger.com (Kaati Rocketts) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:13:00 +0000

The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.~Albert Einstein

Somehow, everything is happening at once. Between work, family, and (for some of us) school, I'm pretty sure most women would agree: time isn't linear for us. Everything is always happening at once and it all needs our immediate attention. But, that's okay. Al was a man. What did he know about time? Betty or Gertrude or Ethel Einstein probably made his sandwiches for him, so he could keep on working through the day. I jest. I have a healthy reverence for Albert Einstein. But, I can't help but wonder, if time is relative, is it experienced differently by gender?

I've got a pile of things to do that is spilling over into next week and the week after. I always think to myself, "As soon as I get all this stuff done, I'll be able to relax!" Tee hee hee. I'll just grab another cup of hot tea, set it on a pretty coaster (shameless self promotion) and keep on pluggin'.