I enjoy music, podcasts, Howard Stern and YouTube videos throughout my day, but I really like audiobooks (to the tune of one every week or two) because though I do not have a college degree, I do think that with a high school education, interesting life experiences and a hell of a lot of reading about every stupid little thing, I have some significant knowledge on a wide host of subjects. I am okay at Jeopardy too, ask my mom. My current book is called The Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson. I'm really enjoying it and feeling inspired to try new things, but I also am realistic about how it fits into my life. This lady is married with two children and she has managed to get her family's disposable waste for one year into a 1 quart container. I, on the other hand am having a hard time getting a week's worth of recycling into one car to take to the bottom of the driveway. My husband and I will never get to her level. I have no intentions of spending six months of my life trying to formulate homemade shampoo that he and I can both use for our two very different hair types. I am trying to make some positive changes though, and to my surprise, I have found that they have not only been embraced but have been a source of inspiration for others. When I went to the grocery store today, I decided to pack my reusable shopping bags with plastic containers and previously used index cards. When I showed up at the store, I had my open containers on the counter and without hesitation I requested that they put my cold cuts into my dishes because I don't like single use plastics. They cut up my stuff, weighed it and packed it into my containers and I applied the lid. She printed out my label and applied it to the paper. The girls at the deli not only found this to be a cool idea, but they expressed interest in doing it themselves. I told them that I was enjoying it so far and nobody has given me any crap about my out of the norm request. "Well, I'm a manager here so if anyone gives you crap in this department, let me know because I think this is great". This was a new concept with the checkout girl too, but one I explained my system, she was on board. Putting the groceries away when I came home was slicker than snot on a doorknob because everything stacked nicely into the refrigerator. This is not a huge money savings nor will I be receiving any thank you cards from the polar bears, I just like it. The tiny difference makes me feel good, and when it feels good, it is sustainable. Next thing to go at my house is the paper towels and disposable napkins- I have tons of fabric napkins, towels and handkerchiefs that ones I never use. Again, this is not stuff that is going to change the world, but it works in my world. That will have to do for now.
