Me the Not So Earth Friendly Gal

     I've been recycling for 23.58 years.  (We've been studying converting fractions to decimals in 4S, can you tell?)  I started because I felt a tremendous guilt due to using disposable diapers.  Recycling efforts in the town I lived in then, Naperville, were grassroots, and it was neato to get on that bandwagon.
     I remember battling with my mom once when she washed out tuna cans and then double plastic bagged them so they wouldn't smell in the trash--and it was WINTER!  She thought I was so militant.
     Back then,  Mac's dad asked me when I became an "Earth Mother." 
     I'm constantly looking for little ways to change my life to make it more "green."  For instance, we are starting to plan a little party to celebrate Mac's (or as I like to call him, Mr. 23.58 Years-Old-Son) graduation from college/good-bye off to grad school.  I want it to be as "green" as possible, and I'm investigating an array of potential finger foods so I don't have to use plastic forks.  I've priced fabric cocktail napkins, figuring they're worth the investment.  I am planning on adding to my Crate and Barrel outlet appetizer plates.  I think you get the picture.
      I believe God commands in Genesis that we take care of this Home he has given us. Though I've read many books on going more green, and I have most of the basics down, I have to confess to many less than green areas in my life:

• I leave my PC on overnight.  I used to turn it off, but it's getting so old (My Dinosaur) that it takes about an hour to hum into power when I start it up (I get up at 5:30, so I cannot wait that long).
• We are in the process of painting our hallway, and I didn't even suggest we look at Earth friendly paint options.
• We will be planting annuals in the late spring, and they will need to be watered pretty much daily.
• Although I long to, I do not compost.* 
• I do not collect rain water for my bedding plants.  We live in a townhouse, and we have yet to find a way to do so discreetly.
• Said townhouse is a 30 minute drive from work because I didn't want to work in the town in which I teach.  (It's a great town, but I'd rather not have students walking over to my Chili's booth to say hi when I'm sipping a Margarita.  Even though I only drink about three a year, I know this would happen.  The one time I ate at Chili's in Batavia, one of my students was there.)  More gas used than if we had purchased a closer to my school home.
• My husband drives an SUV (The "Moose.")
• Though he has become a zealous recycler since our marriage, I cannot get the hubs to switch to kinder, gentler cleaners.  And since he does the lion's share (AKA 99%) of the housework, he buys the cleaning tools.
• I have never once seriously looked into purchasing a single item of organic clothing. I don't think they sell such things at Marshall's or TJ Maxx. I have looked at them on the web but only on wishful skips through cyberspace.
• Sometimes I take a plastic grocery bag, even if I have my own bag, because we use them for our smelly bacon grease paper towels.
• Paper towels...'nuff said.

     So there's my list.  I have much work to do, and I guess since I've outed myself, it's time to start doing some of it (let's face it, we can't move and Brad needs the Denali for his back).  There's still room to grow and green.

* I have been researching worm farms...kind of excited about that idea!  Check back after spring break. 

 Organic T's pic above from www.holycowcompany.com