Saying Saranara

Well, folks, this is it. The final post for the time being of The Blue Penny. Someday, I hope to share a cafe by the same name with you, but for now, just wait. Meanwhile I will start a simpler project, and return to school for some higher learning. Again, thanks for all your support over the past two or so years. Take care, and do your part!

The Blue Penny is Dead! Long Live the Blue Penny

Dear Few & Faithful readers: The Blue Penny is now closed. The website, http://www.thebluepenny.com/ is no longer active as my various business projects such as selling Miessence and beeswax candles have come to an end. I've learned a lot in this endeavor least being that I am not a wily business tycoon.

That being said, I still hope to someday open up my dream urban cafe and call it The Blue Penny Cafe. I wish it to be fresh, organic vegetarian with vegetables and herbs and flowers being intensely grown on the premises. Some day, some day.

In the meantime, I am working as a organic vegetarian chef at a terrific preschool in the Sacramento area, and starting up a new project working with recycled materials. I've a new blog which you can check out the latest progress at: http://www.secondstory-sactown.com/.

Please stay tuned and stay in touch, I'd love to hear from you.

Here's to all of our efforts in making this world a better place.

As the chinese proverb goes: A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.

Here's to your first step.

Sincerely,
RQ Bella
The Blue Penny

Official Website for "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog"

The website for Joss Whedon's "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" starting Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day, and Nathan Fillion is live. See the teaser, join the groups, spread the word, and come back July 15th to see the 1st episode free!

read more | digg story

Door Closes, Another Opens

Well, dear reader(s): Fair Trade Day came and went, and while I celebrated it with a Fair Trade Coffee Break, I broke my promise and didn't post anything about Fair Trade, a sweet subject close to my heart. As you may know, living green is a lifestyle choice for me, and it has been my ideal to live keenly, living greenly. I have endeavored to eek out a living while returning to school employing my eco-values, and one of these endeavors has come to an end. My home business, selling Miessence Certified Organics products has come to a close and my dreams of someday opening up my urban vegetarian organic cafe must be put on the shelf. In all honesty, I hadn't actively engaged in my business since my move from Wessie to Sacramento, but I was hoping that once I became settled in my new place, adjusted to my job and school schedule that I'd somehow find the time to sell these wonderful products. However, it hasn't been the case, and rather than do a poor to mediocre job at all these things, I've decided to streamline my focus, and put my side home business to rest. For all of you who have faithfully supported me and my green ambitions, I thank-you.

Which brings me to this blog, which I'd like to continue, and focus on all the green matters of my heart, like organics, farmer's markets, healthy cooking, victory gardens, alternative transportation, recycling, recycling, recycling. I hope to post at least a blog entry a week, and perhaps find some contributors to share their vida verde. We shall see. Stay tuned.

blue penny for your thoughts-- the much delayed update

oh dear. it's been a looooong time since the Blue Penny has posted anything on her dear blog. there's good reasons, and there's some bad ones. one: life has been presenting me with much opportunity and my attentions have been elsewhere developing new adventures for my green empire. two: i've been a terrible time manager, spending way too much time on myspace (www.myspace.com/thebluepenny) making virtual friends and reconnecting with old ones. three: i'm presently head over heels en l'amor, and of course that's taken up most of my time. so kisses to all of you (all two or three readers, thanks mom & co.) four: school. homework. getting good grades. yeah.

i promise to make it up to you. earth day has come & went, but we have Fair Trade Day (May 10) to look forward to, and this Penny promises to post some juicy fair trade tidbits for you by then. also, i've expanded my local business endeavors, not just doing personal eco-shopping and life style consulting but also offering my chef services for those organically inclined. i'll be posting more recipes, and making weekly menus available online soon, as well. so stay posted.

meanwhile, contact me if you're interested in purchasing my wonderful pure beeswax candles, and Miessence Organic skin & body care.

yours most truly,
RQ Bella
the blue penny

"earth friendly, eco-licious"

The Most Beautiful Marble

"The Earth reminded us of a Christmas tree ornament hanging in the blackness of space. As we got farther & farther away, it diminished in size. Finally it shrank to the size of a marble, the most beautiful marble you can imagine. That beautiful, warm, living object looked so fragile, so delicate, that if you touched it with a finger it would crumble & fall apart. Seeing this has to change a man, has to make a man appreciate the creation of God and the love of God."
-- James Irwin, USA

One Small Step-

1) Walk the Walk. For short trips, try getting out of your cars and make yourself mobile the old-fashioned way-- using your legs. You save on gas, and get the added benefit of actually connecting to your neighborhood. It's cheap, it's easy, it's fun!

2) Switch your Bulbs. Just by switching one regular light bulb for a energy saving CFL, you can make your future bright.

3) Reduce, Re-use, Recycle. Use less, use it more often, and use it again.
C'mon peeps, you know the drill.

4) Ditch the Bleach. Throw out your old whitening (but toxic) stand-by and utilize non-toxic alternatives. For starters, try bi-carb soda, hydrogen peroxcide and lemon juice.

5) Eat Your Vegetables. Choose Organics in the produce aisle, or better yet, grow them yourself!

See Girls on Bikes at Copenhagengirlsonbikes.blogspot.com

Girls on bikes. Sweater girls. Fashionista girls. Girls in tight jeans & brightly colored boots. Girls with short skirts and boots. Girls with leggings & boots. Blue boots, brown boots, red boots. Lots & lots of boots. Leggy blondes wearing high heels riding the apparently bike friendly streets of Copenhagen, Denmark. I've never wanted a danish so badly with my morning coffee. This daily photo blog is inspirational, not just because it's eco-icious, but also from a fashion standpoint, filled with gorgeous street photography depicting a thriving bike culture where you don't have to sacrifice style for spandex. Wowza. It has inspired me to put on my new pair Frye Adrienne Victorian kickers and show that these boots were made for much MORE than just walking. See ya on the sidewalk.

Make Gloves, not War

Last year I became a fan of the fingerless glove. They keep you warm enough while still maintaining some sort of dexterity. I just threw out the batch of gloves that faced the guillotine last year (a hatchet job of the fingers done with a dull pair of scissors), and found some fantastic & stylish replacements. They're from Texture clothing, a eco-stylish brand that hails from the Pacific Northwest (if I'm not mistaken: Portland, Oregon), and they're made from hemp jersey knit. They rock. Stretchy, hemp jersey wears like iron and is easy to clean; these fashionabe mitts are made from hemp scraps in Teresa Remple's studio where she also manufactures "farm fresh" functional clothing "with spice." The website is adorable- funky & charming; the clothes are simple, stylish, & built to last. And the clothes look great on real figures, so go ahead and eat that extra serving of sweet potato au gratin. I've got two pair, one a two-toned jazz medley of raspberry & lime, the other a somber victorian ode in charcoal & black. I feel so hep wearing them, fashionable & deliciously eco. You can shop online: http://www.textureclothing.com/

Earth Day TV

Here's a great link to greener television viewing. All sorts of eco-conscious information are available for viewing. A must-see TV. Check it out at: www.earthdaytv.net

No Child Left Inside

Now, more than ever, our kids need environmental education, yet the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act may leave environmental education programs behind! You can help us dramatically improve our nation's ability to prepare future leaders for the environmental realities of the 21st century. Tell Congress to include environmental education in NCLB!

The Voice of Season

I'd like to add one more small voice to the reason of Organics. Good for the earth, good for the people. Carrots taste sweeter in my opine, when grown without pesticides. Food feels more nourishing when grown in healthy, living soil.

Granola values to be sure. Love the earth, tread lightly, and harm none. But without the patchouli-scented undertones. Big-city aspirations with small town values. Supports Fair Trade. Loves gardenias. Wants to take-up mushroom cultivation. Believes every cat & dog should be wanted, and cared for. People too, for that matter.

I feel the strain of trying to be resourceful, of walking or biking to destinations, instead of a mindless hop in the ol' minivan. Of trying to recycle, reduce, re-use. Of supporting Green business. Knowing that the extra energy involved in hunting down the proper organic peach is worth the effort. It just tastes better. It feels better

Nathan Fillion is Friendly, and Eco- to Boot

Hollywood hunk and actor best known for his portrayal of Malcolm Reynolds on Joss Whedon's cult-classic FireFly, Nathan Fillion has been keeping busy as of late, but apparently he's not too busy to lighten his carbon footprint. When asked by The Blue Penny what he was doing as his part for the environment, he kindly sent back a reply that reeked of sincere charm as well as eco-friendliness.

"To do a little good by way of the earth, " Nathan Fillion replied, " I ride an electric skateboard to run grocery trips and errands around the neighborhood." He went on further describing it as an Urban Mover 70. (SEE PHOTO) He also shared his present plans to trade in his car for a hybrid. He is currently in the process of researching it, looking to find the right one.

A native Canadian, Fillion is looking to carve out an active acting career in L.A. while being ecologically responsible. Perhaps he can trade in his Browncoat, for a Green one.

Our Deepest Fear

"OUR DEEPEST FEAR is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented & fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be?

"YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that others won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory that is within us. and as we let our light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
--Nelson Mandela
1994 Inaugural Speech

The Spin on Spinach

What's the world coming to folks? Word again from AP, that nearly a year after the E. coli outbreak killing three and sickening over 200 eating spinach, that another spinach recall has been announced. This time the culprit is salmonella, commonly contaminating uncooked chicken, which showed up in 1 of 3 samples of spinach hailing from California. Metz Fresh instigated the recall, even though there have been no reports of illness, and have on hold nearly 80% of the potientially hazardous supply. Over 8000 cases of spinach have been affected distributed in the great 48 and parts of Canada.

What does this mean to those who are trying to eat their vegetables, and why are pathogens normally found in meats making their way to spinach?

No answered founds so far, but the Blue Penny suggests you may consider growing your own.

Enough

Let me just apologize for all the whiny well-intended earth lovin', granola crunchin', hybrid drivin' holier-than-thous that are never satisfied with whatever you're doing or not doing. There's a lot of them out there, and they seem outraged if your coffee's not organic, or if it is organic, it's not fair trade coffee beans, or if it is fair trade coffee, you didn't bring your own cup, or you're drove to the coffee shop and they walked 22 miles to drink their fairly traded organic soy yerba matte latte, and they brought their own god-damn bag to take their organic scone with them. While I admire the fact that they knitted that bag, or reused junk mail to hand-make the paper to make their own bag, I must admit the self-righteous indignation or any and everything you're about to (un)do gets a bit tiring. Irksome. Personally, it makes me want to litter sometimes. Right in front of them. What are they going to do about it? Yeah, that's right, earth-freak, I got my Hummer to back it up.

Here's hoping I never nag at you, dear reader, even if you are my mother and you're reading this to support your m' ijacita linda. Even if you're not my mother (which I doubt, but let's just say) I would never want to nag you for drinking Yuban, for shopping at Walmart, for driving over my foot in your gas guzzling Hummer. Never. You just do your part, whatever that is. It, small act as it may be, is a wonderful step towards a better future, a better you.

Blaze your whole house with halogens, scoff at those oddly charming CFLs on sale at Ace Hardware, see if I care. Leave your grocery bags at home, and take your canned peas and carton of cigarettes home in a double plastic bag. Smother your tomatoes with Round-up, eat Dophin-unsafe Tuna, go ahead ! It's your god-given right to be wasteful! If He didn't want us to drill in the Artic, He wouldn't have given us the ability to make drills, am I right?

Ok, I do mind. I just don't want to nag you. Just promise me gentle reader, no, promise yourself, that you'll consider doing one thing, one thoughtful thing. For yourself, your community, your planet. Let me know about it. And I'll mail you a nice thank-you card. Made on recycled paper and compostable ink, of course. Definitely.

Electric Avenue

Even granola girls have the right to look cool. As a committed non-driver of cars, I've recently upgraded my pedestrian status to scooter girl. Well, technically it's a bike, & it's electric. Tons of research led me to the e-bike of my dreams: an eGo Cycle2 Lx. The company hails from Cambridge, MA, the bikes are built in Taiwan, & they're built to last, & look good to boot. I could get all techy on y'alls, but the eGo website does it better than I ever could, so let me just say, the company is run by good folks, and the bike come with a 10-year chassis warranty. Oh yeah, and I look cool riding on it.

To the eye, it looks like a scooter, and compared to some of the other models out there, looks well made, and sturdy. I actually attach a Burley cargo trailer to the back and do all my shopping with it. I've carried over 100 lbs of goodies on the thing, and it holds up to 6 grocery bags. Not bad for pennies per charge. As for speed, it's legally a bicycle because it goes under 24 mph. Which means this little missy can ride out without a motorcycle licence. And the less time I'm failing driving tests at the DMV, the better.

eGo bikes have made in the news, most recently in a LIVE EARTH appearance. Perhaps you've caught a glimpse of them on Bravo TV, CNN, the Today show, or seen them reviewed in Popular Mechanics or in the pages of Time. I'm surprised they haven't made more headlines, as I seem to be turning heads whenever I'm on the thing. The ride's a definite ice-breaker, and the sporty good looks doesn't hurt. Get a picture of Leonardo DiCaprio on one of these babies & you've got yourself one delicous little Eco-razzi centerfold.

Even without the pretty, these bikes hold considerable attraction. The commuter model (which I ride) comes with head & rear lights, turning signals, a dual braking system, rear view mirrors, a speed/odometer and a horn. Yeah, pretty bitchin'. I should mention I can scoot approximately 20 miles before I need to plug it back in for a re-charge. Any household outlet will do.

For more information, email the nice folks at eGo, and tell 'em Bella sent ya. info@egovehicles.com

earth 911

Here's the 411 on the 911:There's a fantastic internet resource for those who want to recycle, but don't know where to take their goodies. It's called Earth911.org. You can just plug in your zip code, and voila! Local resource information on recyclers in your area.

We're talking blue glass, brown glass, clear glass. Batteries & cell phone recycling. It seems like anything you can think of, you'll find the right place for it. For me, this makes it tidy & organized, and yeah, I like tidy & organized. I've a handful of sites set in MY FAVORITES that basically list the same info. Now it's one-stop center for my R&R&R. www.earth911.org

Blue's been a long time coming

You ever make a promise to yourself, some sort of noble intention, then just let opportunity slip right on by, and the next thing you know that promise gets holed up somewhere, stuffed into some dark corner, filled to the neck with other well meant but fuzzy good goals, a broom closet full of every new year's resolution you made since 1971? The classic lose 10 lbs, the give blood, give-up gossip, the go-to-church-more chestnuts? Well you know what they say: good intents, hell roads, nice pavement.


Well, meet one of mine. I've been wanting, meaning, trying to take the plunge and go fully green, live by my principles and take that one small step towards living a kinder, gentler lifestyle. To do what it takes to lighten my footstep, and to help others take heart and help lessen theirs. This is definitely the time for it. Let's face it, more and more people are jumping on the green bandwagon. And it feels good not feeling so goofy bringing my own grocery sacks to the store, as I'm clearly no longer the only person doing it. I remember a few years ago (ok, maybe 5 or 6 years ago) being mocked at Target by the cashier, because I brought my own bags and insisted on bagging my purchases in them. Just last week, same Target, different cashier, I was told I was "right on" because I brought my own bags. Small action, but signs of progress.



Since the once & future president, Mr. Al Gore burst on the scene with his modest blockbuster, An Inconvenient Truth, global warming has become a household word, the so called mainstream has entered the foray in wanting to do something about it. Green has become more than a color, it's become a movement. When Walmart is the biggest purveyor of organic T-shirts, it may be safe to say we've hit the tipping point, and to care about global warming has become cool.

Oh sure, I know, there's now the danger of greenwashing. of "the Man" marketing things as green & earth friendly, but its still the same ol' same ol' business as usual. This danger is real, I see it all the time now that Vanity Fair has annual green issues, and green is the new black, and Cheetos makes what looks like a healthy cheese nibble. A little green paint over the same petroleum-based product or sweat-shopped shoe, and all we've done as consumers is pay for the feeling of feel-good without any real change.

There's also the danger of turning it into a fad, a passing fancy, like the summer of love, shoulder pads & the hoolah hoop. Hey dad, remember the year when we paid to offset our carbon footprint? Yeah, crazy times, what were we thinking? Reminds me of the year when I put cornrows in my hair in the early 90's, not that it looked good on me, I just wanted to try something different. And they didn't look too bad, at least not until up to the point when they started falling out in long chains, and fell down like a rope from an open window. Yeah, I was real classy in the 90's. Anyhow, I do realize this green buzz thing does run the danger of us just going through the motions and not really do much about it. It, I guess, could be the nafarious le warming de global, or just a recognition that our species and our culture has gone a been cancerous and is blooming out of control across the planet, and we need to do something about instilling a balance in our being in relation to the planet.

Specifically, I want to put balance in my relation to the planet. And still live a lively life, still taking an active part in my society. I don't think the problem gets solved with everybody going off into the wilderness and homesteading, growing our own food, clothes and televisions. In fact, I kinda suspect we need to leave a lot more wilderness, and just get more efficient with the space we do take up. I don't want to be some sort of bearded, shack-living, manifestoed neo-luddite, I means that's neo-ludicrous. I do want to figure out how I can avoid any sort of personal green wash (look ma, I recycle!) and really take stock of my life, and its impact on my environs.

So last year I made a pact. To commit fully to an organics lifestyle. To turn my house inside out & integrate green technology and principles of sustainability into my home. To make positive change. Admittedly awkward in the transition (what do you do with all those empty yogurt containers?) but worth the effort. I bought an electric bike, a bike trailer to tow my groceries, am taking up sewing (recycling fashion), cleaned out my cupboards of all toxic chemicals, cleaners, and cosmetics, and threw out what was left of questionable practices. Shopping at the farmers market. Using those CFLs. My footprint is getting lighter. But still, there is so much room for improvement.

And there's always room for inspiration, and that seems to be plenty. From Cradle to Cradle and Permaculture design philosophies to the simple pleasures of container gardening, to checking out the boon of information out here on the internet. There are challenging times ahead, perfect for creativity and community. And it's really good to be here.