While sitting at Austin’s Coffee & Film the other day, I came across a little flier for Guerrilla Gardeners for the Homeless.  It stated that it was an organization of volunteers who help people grow their own food!   What a great concept!  Right now this organization is working on container gardening as it requires less space, is less prone to soil-borne diseases and can be done anywhere.  They are also asking local Central Florida businesses to get involved by letting Guerrilla Gardeners place and maintain live plants in containers on their property and only ask that the businesses share half the harvest with the Guerrilla Gardeners.  A win-win for everyone!  You can get more information on volunteering or by offering your business for container gardening by attending their weekly get-together at Lake Eola on Wednesdays at 5:00 pm.  You can also get information by emailing  GG-4-homeless@googlegroups.com or by calling Greg at 321-420-9037.

LIVING LIKE ED

Perhaps you’ve heard of Ed Begley, Jr. He’s an actor with quite a list of credits to his name. Not a leading man, but nevertheless a successful actor who has been in the business for over 30 years, with many appearances on both TV and screen.

It turns out that Ed has also been doing something very unconventional for that same 30+ year time period. Ed has been consistently living green, investing in sustainable businesses, and living off the grid for most or all of this time.

It has not been an easy journey, more one of small steps. In his book, LIVING LIKE ED, released in 2008, Ed and his more aesthetically focused wife, Rachelle, share their methods of maintaining a balance between his dedication to total Eco-friendliness and her desire to weave in a bit of the glamour and glitz that Hollywood has to offer.

For instance, while Rachelle’s Prius gets 50+ mpg, Ed prefers his electric car or a bicycle for local transportation. By charging his car off of his solar-created electricity, he is using virtually zero electric that has been created by unsustainable sources. His home and his car are all powered by a collection of unconventional, sustainable methods such as a wind turbine, solar, and more.

Of course, as an actor, public speaker, and businessman, Ed occasionally has to travel long distances that his electric car cannot manage. The Prius works for most of his cross-country trips, unless time does not allow the drive. His occasional plane trips are definitely taken begrudgingly, but he compensates by using Terrapass, to help recover the damage done by his kerosene-powered trip on a jet. This company invests your fee, paid to erase your use of petro-chemicals, by investing your money in projects that do just that. It’s a fascinating business concept to read about in Ed’s book, and one that is growing in popularity.

Ed’s book shares his daily tips and techniques for living lean, simple and completely carbon free, in an entertaining format, bouncing back and forth with Rachelle’s segments that share her slightly lighter shade of green. While both committed to the environment, Rachelle struggles to enlighten Ed to see the beautiful side of life, as well as all that is green and Eco.

A great primer for the beginner, this book opens the readers’ eyes to the possibilities and answers the question, “What can I do to live like Ed?”

Are you familiar with the Florida Friends of Midwives? This non-profit, grass-roots organization was formed by consumers, professionals, families, and birth advocates to preserve the tradition of midwifery and the rights currently afforded to Florida midwives and families.

We are very excited to be bringing FFOM a little closer to home with the Central Florida chapter. Intended to support midwives, the midwifery model of care, and build community, FFOM (Central Florida) is kicking off with a chapter meeting at Seven Sisters Coffee House on October 20^th, 2009 from 6:30-9:30pm.

We would love for you to join us, or pass along our information to other women and families who may be interested. 

Join our yahoo group at:  ffomcentralflorida@yahoogroups.com

To be added to our mailing list: ffomcentralflorida@gmail.com

For additional information about FFOM: http://www.flmidwifery.org/

Orlando Pagan Pride Day will be held on Saturday, Sept 19th from 10 AM -5 PM at

First Unitarian Church of Orlando
1901 E. Robinson St
Orlando, FL 32803

The theme for the event is “Harvest for the Homeless.”

Let’s reach out to those less fortunate than ourselves and Harvest a FEAST for our homeless brothers and sisters, both 2 legged and 4 legged!

There will be kids activities on the playground, a labyrinth to enjoy and a Bardic Circle. Food will be supplied by the Castaways’ Salmagundi with burgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, chips, water and soda. With every food purchase you will receive a raffle ticket.

For more information on the International Pagan Pride Project, please visit www.paganpride.org

SPONSORS

The sponsors for the event are

• Four Winds Lodge
• A Temple of the Sacred Path, Inc.
• ATC
• The Mystic Grove at First Unitarian Church of Orlando
• The Wiccan Religious Cooperative of Florida
• The Coven of the Goddess Moon headed by Lord Morpheus and Lady Danu
• The Coven of Mysty Mountain

ADMISSION AND DONATIONS

Admission is FREE with a food donation!

We are accepting dry good/canned donations for the following charities:

• Second Harvest Food Bank
• Catholic Charities
• Rescuing Animals in Need(RAIN)

With every donated item received you will be given a raffle ticket!

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

The Orlando Pagan Pride Day Workshops will be held in the Courtyard and the schedule is as follows:

TALK LIKE A PIRATE

Saturday, Sept 19th is also International Talk Like a Pirate Day so look for the pirates, engage them in conversation and iffen ye knows the 5 A’s of Piratin, ye gets FREE raffle tickets! Arr!

(That is a hint and one of the A’s…search Youtube for the Pirate Guys to learn the other 4!)

MORE INFO

Tory Estes Stevens is the local coordinator for the Orlando Pagan Pride Day. If you are interested in vending, reading, entertaining, presenting a workshop or attending Orlando Pagan Pride Day, please email ToryBadger@aol.com for more information.

The call is going around for volunteer gardeners!

Hey all,

GARDEN WORK DAY AT DEPUGH NURSING CENTER – All are invited to our first Garden Work Day to clear the grounds for the building of our new community garden at 550 W. Morse Blvd in Winter Park. Please join us on Saturday, August 15th from 8:00 am – 10:30 am.

Volunteers can bring: shovels, rakes, clippers, wheelbarrows or just themselves with some water and sunscreen. We are also looking for volunteers with trucks to haul debris away to the dump.

Any help is greatly appreciated! Any questions, please contact Joann Ruiz at joann@stmargaretmary.org or at 321-356-0989.

More info click here.

Daryl Hannah is an accomplished actress who is probably best known for her role in Splash, where she played a mermaid opposite Tom Hanks. I had the opportunity to interview Ms. Hannah last year via email. Read on to learn how she first became interested in nature and what inspired her to start her own vlog that’s dedicated to the Earth-friendly living.

I read that you first became interested in the environment during an experience at summer camp as a child. Will you tell us more about that?

Growing up in the heart of downtown Chicago in the 42nd story of a building, it was as though I was afflicted with a mild form of nature deficit disorder. My father sent us to camp in the Rockies, where we lived in covered wagons with no electricity, backpacked, horsepacked, cared for horses, built fires, pitched tents, etc…

I was transformed. Things began to make sense to me, and I found that I adapted well.It was hard but the challenges were truly character building. I found a deep love for wilderness and wildness.

When did you become a vegetarian? How do you think vegetarianism benefits the environment?

I became a vegetarian at age 11 because I could no longer disassociate the food I was eating from the creature it had been, and I just couldn’t gnaw on the flesh of creatures anymore. It grossed me out. The health and environmental benefits turned out to be a bonus! Often I find that when I do something from pure compassionate place, aspects I never considered seem to benefit as well – illustrating how we are truly interconnected to all life. The meat industry not only suffers from inhumane practices but is also complicit as the 3rd largest contributor to our global warming crisis.

I hear you have an amazing “green” home in the Rocky Mountains. And even a moss stone couch that actually needs to be watered! Will you tell our readers a little about your house?

It’s a small but beautiful house made with salvaged materials. It’s both passive and active solar, meaning it faces southwest. It is bermed into the landscape and uses the natural movement of the sun and the insulation of the earth to heat/cool the structure. The power is amended by solar panels. I have most of the modern conveniences, but I choose not to have a TV. I have a friend who is an amazing mosaic artist, and as I have radiant floors, I had him make a mosaic with sea glass and shells I’d collected over the years. All of the materials that were removed from the ground when we burmed the structure were incorporated into the house – thus the living couch. Moss can go dormant for several months so it doesn’t need to be watered very often.

You’ve got an amazing Eco-Site, complete with the latest environmental news and inspiring videos. You’ve probably received a lot of positive feedback! How did this site come to be?

I decided to make a TV show because there was no information accessible to the general public on these subjects, and I was growing tired of fielding questions all the time, but I didn’t like the contract and then I discovered vloging! I love making my vlogs! I learn so much and meet the most interesting people.

Eco-friendly living can be overwhelming for someone who is just getting started. What would you recommend to someone who is trying to gradually reduce their impact on the environment and live more naturally?

I would say – go for it! Jump in the deep end! It’s great in here, and there are so many fantastic options available to consumers now that really work. Get the toxic cleaners out from under your sink and the toxic chemical detergents out of the laundry room. Buy organic food from your local farmers market. Change your light bulbs to compact fluorescents. Start a garden. Start composting.

There are so many things you can do! These things are not only better for you and your loved ones. They’ll also save you money in the end, and they are better for the future of all life.

Thanks to Ms. Hannah for taking the time to “chat” with us. Her site, The DHLovelife Show, is a wonderful resource that’s definitely worth a visit!

A few weeks ago, a group of students from Rollins College participated in the 4th annual International Coastal Cleanup Day. 

Read the full story on the Rollins website.

There are many websites about Florida’s amazing natural resources.    I found a blog today that I hadn’t seen before.   Florida Everyone Forgot is interesting and talks a bit about natural resources in our state.  Running across this site reminded me of the fact that we’ve got several fantastic organization in the area that work hard to protect our local environment.   Please comment if you have a site that you feel other Central FL Green Guide readers should know about.  This is not a comprehensive list. We need your help!

This is not the time to promote your own business–even if it’s related to natural living. Spam will not be tolerated here.

Friends of the Wekiva River

Friends of Lake Jesup

Sierra Club of Florida

Seminole Audobon Society

Eco-Action

Florida Trail Association

St. John’s Riverkeeper

Alligator Princess (neat!)

Florida Turtle Conservation Trust

Save the Manatee Club

WIldlife Foundation of Florida

Great Florida Birding Trail

I got this today in an email. Nehrling Gardens is one of the non-profits the Green Team is supporting this year. Every little bit helps, so even if you can’t attend the party, check out the Nehrling’s website on how to help preserve this Florida treasure!

WHAT: “Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament, Casino Party & Silent Auction”

BENEFICIARY: Historic Nehrling Palm Cottage Gardens

WHEN: Friday, August 8, 2008 at 7 PM

WHERE: Windermere Town Hall, 520 Main St., Windermere, FL 34786

DETAILS:

Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament & Casino Party provided by Fun Planners, Inc., Silent Auction,

wine selections from Tim’s Wine Market, beer, complimentary hors d’oeuvres by Metro West Catering. Reservations available.

Requested donation $75/person. Please specify Poker Tournament OR Casino Party tickets.

All proceeds benefit The Henry Nehrling Society for Acquisition of Historic Nehrling Palm Cottage Gardens.

The Henry Nehrling Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, Fed EIN #59-3617338.
No purchase necessary to participate. Go to “Events” at the website to register.

For more information contact Theresa Myers at 407-876-4524

Most of you probably don’t know that right here in Central Florida a major water bottling company is wanting to tap into one of our aquifers. Why is this a problem? The water table is already low and they are approving California based Niagara Water Bottling Company to take 177 million gallons of water. Also, the production of plastic at this site will produce waste that will take hundreds of years to decompose.

What can you do about it? You can come to the next meeting, or write a letter to the St. Johns River Water Management District telling them of your concern.

The next meeting will be Tuesday night, July 29th, 7:00 PM., at 2210 Dogwood Circle, Mount Dora, FL

If you would like to know who to send your letters to, or get one of the form letters that have already been written please e-mail me at heidicrawford@gmail.com

Here is a link to an Orlando Sentinel article on the subject.

Florida School of Holistic Living is holding a rummage sale as a fundraiser. The flier went across my desk a little while ago and then I got distracted amassing things to donate both from myself personally, and then from The Alliance Continuuing Bazaar thrift shop over at First Unitarian.

My foyer looks nuts, and my car looks even wackier as I prepare to go make my second drop.

At any rate for those looking to help out with donated goods, donate some volunteer time, or looking for some fun thrifty shopping over the weekend, I invite you to check out the letter and the sale!

Hi Friends,

We are doing a Community Rummage Sale on July 19th to raise money for the co-op and the community garden…plus to help us all free up some physical space and pass along items we are no longer using.

I’m writing to you for two reasons:

1: We need the help of the community to gather items for the rummage sale to supplement what the school will already have. Clean out those closets and garages and bring your items to the school anytime from Wednesday July 16 to Friday July 18.

If you need to schedule a time to bring them outside of these days, let us know.

If it is a large item and you don’t have a way to deliver it to the school, let us know.

All donations will receive a receipt, as all donations are tax-deductible for their net value.
* P.S. – tell your friends, too! We’ve all got a few things lying around that we don’t need anymore!!

2: We need volunteers throughout Friday and Saturday to help us price, set up, and operate the rummage sale. It will be very low key, but extra hands on deck are very welcome! Friday we’ll be pricing and sorting 11 am to 7 pm. Saturday’s sale will set up around 9:30 am and will last until 4 pm (or until we’re sold out). Rain or shine – we will use the classroom if it is rainy that day.

If you can spare some of the junk taking up space in your home or office, turn it into treasure for the co-op and the community garden.
And, let us know if you can help us on July 18th or 19th!

Thanks and blessings,
Emily

I have been wearing glasses since I was six. I’m now thirty-two, so that’s creeping up to three decades of glasses wearing! I started out hating it, but over the years it’s become a part of my identity some how.

Cat, glasses wearer.

I was recently at the mall at Lenscrafters ordering a new pair because my old frames are getting bent out of shape and uncomfortable and the lens were getting impossibly scratchy. I was also looking to get prescription sunglasses because I lost mine somewhere more than a year ago and I miss them a lot when driving in sunny Florida.

And when you get a new thing, you wonder what to do with the old thing.

CAN YOU REUSE THEM FOR YOURSELF?

A friend of mine kept her old glasses and had them retinted to be her new sunglasses to give them new life.

Another friend skipped the retinting and had them sort of retrofitted with tinted “permanent clip ons.” It’s hard to describe… but it makes her “sandwiched” glasses look really interestingly “vintaged” with little wires and things all around.

Unfortunately my sad glasses are in no shape for being retinted or retrofitted. I am a grown up “coke bottle glasses kid!”

WHAT IF YOU CAN’T REUSE THEM YOURSELF?

Not wanting to be wasteful, I happened to ask the sales clerk if there was any way to donate my used lenses to recycle them for charity.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that all LensCrafters will take old glasses and he gave me a little pamphlet about the charity they work with called “Give the Gift of Sight.” A little closer look at the booklet and I learned that LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sears Optical, Target Optical and Sunglass Hut will all take them to reroute to Gift the Gift of Sight.

Then I started wondering… where else could I take my old glasses locally? Could I mail them somewhere? What sort of impact would recycling my old glasses make anyway?

I am functionally blind because of refractive error. A refractive error means that the shape of your eye does not bend light correctly, resulting in a blurred image. It can be cause by genetics (mom and dad passed it on to you) or environment (some kind of eye injury.)

WHAT SORT OF IMPACT CAN RECYCLED GLASSES MAKE?

How many people in the world are living functionally blind just because they can’t get glasses? Is it a number I can understand? To me numbers start to lose meaning once you start talking millions, billions and trillions. I can comprehend percentages better.

So I went looking for some stats to play with in my very unscientific way.

Wikipedia says:

• “The global prevalence of refractive errors has been estimated from 800 million to 2.3 billion”

Ok. Let’s take that then as the global refractive error people. All the people who can’t get glasses and the people who do glasses.

World Health Organization says in a 2006 blurb:

• WHO estimates show that currently, 153 million people worldwide live with completely treatable visual impairment from uncorrected refractive errors.

Sight Savers International says:

• 500 million people are coping with functional blindness from refractive error that could be fixed with glasses.

So… in my quick search I’m getting a wide range. Somewhere between 153 million and 500 million people are suffering from not having glasses to fix their refractive error related blindness.

If there are 800 million to 2.3 billion people in the world with refractive error total (both the correct and uncorrected people)…

That is like 20% to 22% of people with correctable refractive error are going around functionally blind just because they have no access to glasses?

Whoa.

I still can’t get my mind around it even as a percentage. Maybe it is because I AM a functionally blind person and I know how life looks that way.

ON FUNCTIONAL BLINDNESS

A glasses wearing person eventually gets caught up in daily living. You get so used to them on, you forget they are there. How would I live and cope in my life if I was unable to get the glasses I needed to correct my refractive error?

I used to play that game as a kid when I was first starting out in my glasses wearing career. Take the glasses off and see how long I could cope before giving up and sticking them back on. I never lasted long.

I don’t even bother to play that game as an adult.

• My driver’s license demands that I wear corrective eye wear while operating a car because I am functionally blind. Like I’d be nutty enough to drive with glasses. Without glasses, I can’t see the hole in the car door to stick the car key in to unlock the car!
• I sit here at my desk typing this article at my laptop and if I peer over my glasses to look at the screen, all the letters disappear into whiteness. Even if I squint, I see little blurry grey lines, but no letters. I have a hard time even counting how many lines I see. My eyes are a little over 24 inches from the screen.
• I’d be seriously hindered in things like cooking safely to feed myself or my family. Can you imagine my face a few inches away from a hot pan just so I can see what I’m doing?
• I could not walking safely outdoors in open areas because I wouldn’t see the hole in the grass that would trip me up because the ground is too far away to see clearly if I walk normal and upright.
• I could lose my child in a crowd and not be able to spot her on sight and she could be nearby, just out of earshot. Terrifying.
• I could not cross a street safely. If the oncoming car is white, and just blends in the blurry haze that is what I see without glasses. I could get run over.
• I am unable to get around in my house without creeping around with one hand on the wall to help me and I’d go hunkering look at things from 6 inches away. I know this, because sometimes I misplace my glasses, and I have to carefully make my functionally blind way to the bathroom, then hunker down to look for the case inside the drawer jumble to find and put on the spare glasses so I can find the glasses I lost. It sounds funny, and I can laugh that I do that… but its scary too. Once the spare glasses weren’t there to help me. I was trapped, frustrated, functionally blind for hours til spouse could come help me find my hiding glasses and restore my sight. Imagine being trapped indefinitely because don’t own a pair of glasses to begin with.
• I would live most of my life never seeing the faces of my family clearly or seeing the people I talk with clearly. Because really, I would have to respect personal space, and being 6 inches from a person while talking to them infringes on their personal space. So all the people I interact with, I’d never see well. I’d miss body language, I’d miss the spontaneous smiles of my child, I’d miss a whole lot.

So I know I’m lucky. My problem is correctable and I have access to glasses, no matter the cost or slight inconveniences I go through to get new custom prescription lenses back on my face so I can see again.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?

Apart from taking your glasses to the local chain stores listed above to reroute to “Give the Gift of Sight” you can also try these…

• The Lion’s Club, a well known community service organization, collects glasses at local drop off points or you can mail them in. The Lions Eyeglasses Recycling Program was a officially adopted as service project in October 1994, but Lions have recycling eyeglasses for an amazing 80 years.
• If you want to send your old glasses to a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, non-sectarian charity, check out New Eyes for the Needy! First formed in 1932, New Eyes for the Needy will take plastic frame eyeglasses and sunglasses in good condition, metal frame glasses in any condition, just the precription lenses, hearing aids and more!
• First Unitarian Church of Orlando’s Alliance Thrift Store crew takes donated glasses as well! One person sends them on to Lion’s Club and another person saves sunglasses and the dark glasses you get after eye surgery for sending on to Haiti. You can just drop them off with a note that it is for “The Alliance.”
• You could ask your optician if he or she collects them for redistribution as well.
• If you aren’t a glasses wearer and still want to help, go check out the Vision 2020 donations portal page.
  
• Or think about taking some kind of local Oct 9, 2008 World Sight Day awareness action whether small (print up a bunch of the fliers and tack them up on local community boards) or bigger (organize an local event!)

OLD GLASSES WITH A MISSION

Like I mentioned above, I have a habit of keeping the most recently retired pair as “the bathroom spare… in case.” So the ones on my face right now will become the new bathroom pair. The old bathroom pair?

I’m going to bring them with me to LensCrafters when I get the new ones when they call me for pick up. I’m going there anyway, so it isn’t like a terrible hardship to haul them in for a recycling drop off.

Most recycled glasses are cleaned and catalogued and sent abroad to be matched with a recipient because US laws make it hard to redispense a prescription product.

Even so, it is worthwhile to think about your old glasses getting new life in the community service sector. Recycling with a mission!

I really hope my old pair finds some other adult “coke bottle glasses kid” and allows him or her to see again.

If you support midwifery, if you think out-of-hospital births should be allowed, if you’re considering a midwife or interested in learning more, please join our group.  We are mothers, fathers, midwives, doulas, and friends from Orange, Seminole, Lake and Volusia Counties who are working to raise awareness, build membership, and support midwives.  We  offer both morning and evening meetings. Morning meetings are held at the Educated Mama (www.theeducatedmama.com) behind the Heart to Heart birth center in Sanford at 11:00AM.  The evening meetings are held at Infusion Tea on Edgewater Drive in Orlando at 7:00PM (www.infusionorlando.com )  Join us on the third Monday of every month at either location.  Everyone is welcome!  Please e-mail Heidi Crawford at heidicrawford@gmail.com for more information or to be included in our monthly e-mail update.

We also have our own yahoo group!

I get interesting things across my Green Team desk sometimes. Today I offer you some food for thought on the topic of global warming’s impact in Florida and how to be heard and speak your green truth.

My “green team” counterpart and new friend over at University Unitarian Universalist Society, Gary Przyborski, was talking to me recently about trying to motivate Floridians to take more action on the global warming issue.

He had gone to the Earth Day Conference and was talking to Dr Sack, who was a speaker there.

Gary wrote rather eloquently about the problem of making people aware and let me read his follow up letter to Dr Sack.

(He’s been letting me peek at his letter writing — and he’s good! That’s one way armchair activists can help — UNITE AND WRITE!)

I offer his letter for my readers here to contemplate.

Dear Dr. Sack,

Enjoyed your talk on Saturday. I am glad that the commission is trying to address this issue. My feeling is that the one person who made the comment about these efforts not being enough is how we all felt in the room.

Unfortunately, due to ignorance, misinformation, and our culture bias that dismisses truth.

In one part, the problem is with the perception of science where some people think the climate scientists are trying to scare them with fears that could never play out, to get rich through PR. Whereas real scientists go out of their way to simply state the facts, and to err on the conservative side, while privately scientists are expressing real concerns about our future.

In regards to Florida’s future, the bit of news I mentioned was April 16 news: Svetlana Jevrejeva of the UK’s Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory who thinks that we could see a rise of 1 (39″) to 1.5 (58″) meters in sea level by 2100, versus the IPCC’s prediction of 28 (13″) to 43 cm (20″). These changes are almost three times the IPCC values. At this point it is clear that the IPCC prediction is conservative and did not account for the fast glacier melting that is being observed.

This information is something that Florida should take into account when setting goals.

The time to act on Global Warming was years ago, but even so now is the time for some real leadership to steer us away from the worst of these catastrophes.

Sincerely yours,
Gary Przyborski

What do you think? How DOES one speak out the green truths so the message is heard without turning people off or making people want to stick their heads in the sand?

In Florida, the rising of the sea would put a lot of us under water. Then what?

Post your ideas and thoughts in the comments!

]]> http://centralfloridagreenguide.com/2008/05/05/spring-fling/ Tue, 06 May 2008 02:29:15 +0000 Tara - Get Green Organics http://centralfloridagreenguide.com/2008/05/05/spring-fling/

Dr. Lynne Whitson-Rosemellia of Hands On Family Chiropractic is hosting a Spring Fling to benefit the Orlando Area Chapter of the Holistic Moms Network. The event will take place from 11-2 on Saturday, May 10th at 2876 S. Alafaya Trail in Orlando.

There will be plantings and paintings for the kids, a photographer to get pictures of Mom with the kids since she always seems to be behind the camera, Our Vital Earth with their worms, music, storytellers, organic snow cones, vendors, and more!

For more information please call Dr. Lynne’s office at 407.340.1293. To learn more about the Holistic Moms Network, please visit their website at www.holisticmoms.org.

If you liked the Behind the Beans preview of Seven Sisters Coffee house, you can catch another taste of the yummy organic, fair trade joe at the May 17th “Evening Entertainment Escape!”

Alisha Kearns is taking Seven Sisters Coffeehouse over to be one of the tables at the crazy celebration of “creative spirit” held at First Unitarian Church of Orlando.

First Unitarian is “keeping it local” by putting on the event as a community service project to offer artists, musicians, small businesses and groups a platform to broadcast and promote themselves to Greater Orlando. They don’t even charge a booth fee — so if you are interested in participating, email audioteam@orlandouu.org for more info.

The audience shows it’s support of the local talent, local groups, and helps to celebrate “creative spirit” by coming to watch!

Billed as a sort of “wacky music and arts” festival, the Evening Entertainment Escape is shaping up to feature a lot of cool performers:

• The Forefathers
• Black Ship Sky
  
• Lost Soul Tribe
• Tuesday Nite Band
• Doug Halper, dulcimer player
• Old Guys on the Porch
• Dances of Universal Peace, Orlando group

…and more!

There will also be various info tables, concessions, kirigami crafts, thrift store shopping, movie shorts, and “whatever other crazy creative thing we can squeeze in!”

And of course, our favorite Black Bear dark roast!

WHEN:

May 17, 2008

Doors open at 6 PM

Concert starts at 7 PM and runs through 10 or 11 PM!

WHERE:

First Unitarian Church of Orlando

1901 E. Robinsons St

Orlando, FL 32803

COST:

You may purchase advance tickets in advance on Sundays from Noon to 1 PM at the church or just at the door.

• $10 in advance/$15 at door for adults
• $5 in advance / $8 at door for kids 12 and under

I just got a neat press release that sounds like some weekend fun:

Greetings from Seven Sisters Coffee!

I am inviting you to a special event I am calling

“Behind-The-Beans: A preview of Seven Sisters Coffee House.”

Highlights included:

• A special photographic presentation of my life-changing tour of the amazing environmentally-sustainable & worker-rights focused Selva Negra Coffee Estate in Nicaragua.
• Opportunities to see what human rights work Seven Sisters Coffee House will be doing.
• Special coffee tastings featuring our exquisite Seven Sister Coffees.
• A culinary sampling of some of the Seven Sisters Coffee goods.
• Sample activities for children.
• Art from local artists who will show in the Seven Sisters Coffee Gallery.
• Chance to purchase coffee* & gift cards for our future grand opening.
• Information on how you can help Seven Sisters Coffee House a reality!

So let’s get together and share a delicious hot cup of social change!

WHEN: Sunday, March 30, 2008

TIME: 3:00 – 7:00 P.M.

WHERE: First Unitarian Church of Orlando, Gore Hall, 1901 E. Robinson St, Orlando, FL 32803

COST: Free, donations welcome

Yours in coffee,

Alisha Kearns
Coffee Evangelist
www.sevensisterscoffee.com

I received an action alert via email last week about a sweet dog (pictured below) who was about to be put to sleep.  I knew there was a high euthanasia rate at our local shelters, but I didn’t realize that dogs were only given about 2 weeks to be adopted.  This appears to be the case in many of our Orlando area shelters.

We drove up last week to meet the dog pictured in the email and filled out the adoption application.  We’re picking her up tomorrow, and my son has decided to call her “Lucky” since we saved her life. This experience made me realize that more needs to be done and that the situation is worse than many realize. 

Therefore, I’ve decided to at least start by sharing the links to pics of dogs and cats in the area who need your help now.  Pets who are waiting for homes can be viewed on the following pages:

Orange County Animal Services

Seminole County Animal Services

SPCA of Central FL

Volusia County Animal Control

Humane Society of Lake County

Remember:

• If you have to give a pet up, don’t drop him off at a shelter!  Take the time to find your pet a great home yourself. 
• Many believe that all dogs and cats in shelters have something wrong with them or major issues. This is simply not true.  Most animals who enter shelters will be euthanized, so it’s important to not assume and to actually visit dogs and cats who are available for adoption. You may be surprised at what you find.  Some are strays, but others are house dogs who have been abandoned by their owners. 
• In addition to shelters, we have many rescue organizations in the area that specialize in particular breeds.  Check into those before purchasing a new puppy from a breeder. A list of rescue organizations can be obtained online or at your local animal shelter.
• Always spay or neuter your pets.

Please comment here if you have adopted a pet from a shelter and would recommend it to others.  We’d love to hear about your experience.  Also, are there more links that need to be listed here? Please let us know!

UPDATED PHOTO OF LUCKY:

Lucky

 A new chapter of the Holistic Moms Network is now forming in Orlando and will be holding an Open House at the University UU Society, 11648 McCulloch Road in Orlando on Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 6:30 p.m.  There will be several items raffled off at the Open House and food and beverages will be served!

The Holistic Moms Network is a rapidly growing national non-profit organization providing support to moms interested in natural health, holistic living, and mindful parenting. Members of the Holistic Moms Network offer one another support and resources, while sharing information on a variety of topics including organic food, breastfeeding, natural childbirth, positive discipline, and alternative medicine.

The organization, which was founded in New Jersey in 2003, currently has more than 100 chapters in 30 states across the US and Canada.Executive Director, Nancy Massotto, attributes the remarkable growth of the organization to a “budding natural health movement” that is spreading across the country. Moms, dads, grandparents, partners, and other caregivers are all welcome to join the organization.

The Orlando Area Chapter meets on the first Tuesday of each month at the University UU Society and welcomes volunteer guest speakers on a variety of holistic lifestyle topics. April will be a community building meeting and May will host Jolly Green Planet on organic gardening and composting. For more information, please visit the Holistic Moms Network website or email hmnorlando@yahoo.com.

My husband brought in the mail on Friday night, excited about what movie might be in the Netflix envelope.  He seemed little disappointed that I had added yet another documentary to our rental list!  I had read good reviews and figured he’d be interested since he’s an automotive technician.

After we got the kids in bed, we sat down to watch Who Killed the Electric Car? and found it to be extremely engaging and informative!  It really opened our eyes because we had never really spent much time researching alternative forms of transportation.  Since my husband is a mechanic for Chrysler, I had gone online and found they had a hybrid in production, but my quest for information had stopped there. 

This movie really brought home the fact that the technology for the car we need–a car with zero emissions–is available today and has been for more than 100 years.   Seeing this DVD actually left me in tears, something I didn’t expect to happen with this type of documentary.  The sight of the electric cars that General Motors had taken from the consumers and crushed made me want to take action.   The documentary features footage of a vigil held by EV1 activists before the last 78 were destroyed by General Motors as well as multiple interviews with experts, consumer advocates, and celebrities. 

We were especially interested in the fact that just about any car can be converted from gas to electric!  It’s not cheap, but it’s doable!  It’s something my husband could do for us if we had the extra money. I mentioned that he should learn how to do gas to electric conversions because there might be a demand here in the Orlando area.  I found various books and websites dedicated to the topic, so concerned citizends certainly don’t have to sit around and wait for the automotive companies to bring back electric cars.  They can convert cars themselves, buy them online, or have them converted!

The film also addresses the fact that the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is an inferior alternative to the electric car, proving that lots of tax dollars are, in my opinion, being wasted on research and production.  See the Hype about Hydrogen for more information.

Who Killed the Electric Car? is available on DVD and has been shown on PBS.  Segments are available on You Tube as well. The writer and director, Chris Payne, is currently working on a sequel.  

Related Links:

Plug In America (Must See)

The History of Electric Vehicles

How Stuff Works: Electric Cars

Florida Electric Auto Association

Electric Cars Are for Girls

I attended this wonderful conference last year, and was amazed by the supportive atmosphere and inspirational speakers. I was truly comfortable wearing my baby in a sling from one session to another, and my preschooler and husband had a fantastic time enjoying the pirate ship kids’ pool and the children’s activities.

I felt totally supported and encouraged as a breastfeeding mother, and as someone who practices attachment parenting. It was freeing to be surrounded by dozens of babies in carriers, nursing moms and involved dads.

This year’s conference, held at the Oceanfront Holiday Inn in Cocoa Beach on October 11-14, promises to be just as meaningful! It is designed to be a family weekend experience, so there will be lots of fun activities and opportunities to mingle with other families.

(And it is definitely not ONLY about breastfeeding – my favorite sessions last year were about gentle discipline and schooling options!) You can choose to stay at the hotel or come as a day trip. The conference is very affordable for LLL members, and there are discounts for members who come with a friend.

Please visit the Florida Parenting Conference website for more information.

Jenny is a kooky, crunchy, unschooling mom to two amazing children. A long time ago, in a world far, far way, she was a theatre major, then a people-pleasing corporate marketer, but can now be found playing Fairy Godmother in repeat performances in her living room. She also makes a mean costume out of copy paper and brads. Jenny has an opinion about everything, views life through rose-colored glasses, and can be rather long-winded. Visit her at her occasionally updated website to learn more.