All-Time Personal Best

Double digits tonight on the way home. Eleven groundhogs. Must be the cooler temperatures, everyone's coming out for a nice meal. I even spotted a whole groundhog family right around PNC Bank Arts Center. Maybe they were waiting for the Projekt Revolution show to start. Lucky groundhogs.

Lara Goes Green

I used to go back and forth between organic and not. Mostly I did it because it made me feel I was actually treating my body good for once and being healthy. Ultimately I'd either go back to my slacker ways or splurge my money at the mall.

But this last year, I've moved beyond organic and embraced green. And not just because I'm on a perpetual health kick or trying to do something good for myself, but because I'm really starting to believe that we all have to do something for this world. Needless to say, when I embrace something I EMBRACE it. (Ok, Ok, I admit I still love and drive my Land Rover, but I drive it MUCH LESS.)

Andy has been getting just a tad fed up with me and all my environmental purchases, suggestions, and reminders. But even though he'll never admit it to me I have noticed my Green Guide magazine left open on the nightstand - and pages even dog-eared! Now if I can just convince him to install the geo-thermal heat pump in the next house......

An interesting fact for the day: According to this non-profit organization Green Seal, 40% of trash found in landfills is paper products including Kleenex, napkins, and paper towels since they're not recyclable unlike copier paper, newspapers, and magazines. I think that little fact is enough to make me by recycled napkins and such.

Latest Knitting Project

Just before Christmas 2007 Robyn told me she was expecting her 2nd child this summer. With so much time to prepare I decided that this was my opportunity to make her something instead of just buying a gift. The final decision: a baby blanket. And of course I started right away since I knew I needed all the time I could get!

Well with only a couple of weeks, if that, to spare I am glad to say I'M DONE!!! And on top of the baby blanket, a couple of bibs too. So cute. Even better, since I'm now on my environmentally friendly platform, made with 100% organic cotton. Now I just have to find a box and get everything wrapped up.

Craziness

So life has been whirling by - is that a word? I think that's the way of the Spring & Summer. There's so much going on in Spring - you want to get out, enjoy the weather, the kids are getting ready for the end of the school, summer plans are in the works. And then of course, Summer itself hits and before you know it it's almost Labor Day again. Whew! As the oh-so-wise Dr. Seuss once said "How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn." Which makes me think of a little sidebar here (this is how my mind has been of late) children's authors are just the best for stating the obvious and insightful.

Anyway, back to my point, although I'm not sure I really had one, just a guilt for not keeping up with original blogging intentions. We are well into our summer even though we've just past July 4th. Andee has returned from her first field hockey camp of the season. Tara (and Adam) are both looking for new (but used) cars in preparation for college in the fall, Brittany is busily working on her summer courses, and Andy & I are getting ready for our vacation to Pennsylvania in a couple of weeks. Which reminds me I have to figure out an Anniversary gift. Cotton or China. Gee- towels or place settings. There HAS to be something better!!!

Although when I think about it I can't put my finger on what exactly has made me feel so completely busy, but yet I seem to have. Hopefully I at least have a lot accomplished to show for it. Still I'm resolving myself to be better about documenting all these days as they so quickly pass us by. I should be taking more photos, writing more down, following my own proclamation of remembering the little things. Otherwise, I will continue to forget.

And on a final note, a nice photo of Andee, Tara, and I taken after Tara's graduation on June 18th. (YEA!!!! SHE DID IT!!!) Usually when I take a photo with the girls I always love the way they look and hate the way I look. I'm definitely a behind the lens kind of gal. But this one came out really nice. And goes to show how far we've come in only a year. Life is good.