Lights Out America

Last night we joined millions of people around the world in making a statement about climate change by turning off our lights for one hour.

Earth Hour Earth Hour was created by World Wildlife Fund in Sydney, Australia, in 2007, and in one year has grown to a global movement. In 2008, millions of people, businesses, governments and civic organizations in nearly 200 cities around the globe turned off unnecessary lights for Earth Hour. More than 100 cities across North America participated. Even Google used the black screen to cut back on energy use. At this stage, I'm sure this cutback in nonessential energy use is symbolic. But think about the possibilities.

I went through the house and turned off all lights and appliances. The house was dark from rooftop to basement--except in the living room. He deemed the television and the laptop to be essentials. So, we sat in the darkness and watched some dumb movie--which for me was non-essential--then it was bedtime.

But it still comes down to individual action -- you and me, each doing what we can to reduce the amount of stuff necessary to run our lives. What did you do for Earth Hour?

Spring peeks through the clouds

The following says pretty much how it is:

The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March.

-Robert Frost

The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month.

--Henry Van Dyke

Visit to Northern CA March 2008

The Senior Citizen's Week

If it seems I have been gone for a while, you're right. Bitten by the travel bug, and thanks to some low fare offers by Southwest Airlines, I went to Seattle in February and California in March. Now I'm at home playing catch-up. But first, a short note about my stay in the "golden state."

There was an abundance of sunshine with temps in the 70s! Thus, I took some nice walks with the dogs. (My mom has two fat dachshunds that just love going for walks--what dog doesn't. But, Grandma and Howard are not able to take them. ) I also spent some patio-sitting with glasses of iced tea, my legs and arms exposed, my body and psyche starved for the food of sunshine. I was happy to see that the folks were enjoying lunches at the Senior Citizen's Center and while there, I joined them. A great place for socializing, they sat at their regular table with some regular friends, and others floating in and out on different days. There were lots of interesting stories to hear. One of the men, Homer, was a principle at the school where I attended Kindergarten!

You'll note in the pictures that we played Bingo. We also worked on some jigsaw puzzles. Howard played pool with a new friend.

I also had some time on the weekend to go visit some friends I've known for 38 years. One friend, George, was introduced to me by my first spouse, and counseled us through our divorce. The other, Alan, was the first doctor I worked for; he and his wife, Cheryl (recently deceased), are very dear friends. I picked Alan up on Saturday morning and we drove up the hill to Auburn to have lunch with George, who had prepared an excellent chicken salad with cold blue cheese ravioli and tortellini, with a yummy champagne, and ending with a stroll in the yard with a glass of fine white wine. Our afternoon drew to its close as George, the counselor who just can't seem to retire, had a conference call scheduled.

Al and I went back down the hill and by that time we were hungry again. We decided on a popular neighborhood Italian restaurant, Serritella's, in Carmichael. It was Saturday night so it was a busy place and dinner took a while to finish. By then, we were both full and tired. There was a sofa made up for me to crash on at Al's house. In the morning, we went to get coffee at Starbucks, read the paper, picked a movie to go see (a matinee), passed some time at Borders Book store, then went to see the movie (The Other Boleyn Girl), then a late lunch at the deli counter at a local grocery store. HA! Then--that's it.

Then I was on my way back to the other Senior Citizen's group to sit with, go to lunch with, to walk the dogs, and to go to bed at sundown.