lol*la*pa*loo*za [lol-uh-puh-loo-zuh]  noun, Slang. an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. 

I don't usually fret over writing the newsletter but fret I did over this one. Besides wishing you a joy-filled, abundant and very sustainable New Year - what can I write about that will be inspiring for this FIRST newsletter of 2013? Something fresh? Innovative? Creative? Worthy of your time? An exceptional example of living sustainably? A new green spin on things? The "committee" was really working overtime on this one and thus the green lollapalooza emerged for this first newsletter of 2013.

So what great, deep thoughts did the committee reveal? It's all about connection - of the real, old-fashioned, help your neighbor, waste not, want not, like in the good old days kind. It's all about believing that each and every one of us is on purpose, that we can make a difference for the planet, that we can (and indeed must) move the green needle forward every single day of our collective lives. If we personally believe that our not using plastic bags matters, we won't use them. If we personally believe that plastic water bottles have NO upside whatsoever and that they are harmful to our health, our oceans, our energy supply and that our not using them counts, we will stop using them. If we believe that our turning off the lights and our computers helps use less energy, turn them off we shall. If we believe that locally owned business are the backbone of our country, that small businesses matter and that by supporting them, we are supporting the very communities in which we live, we will program ourselves to shop locally. If we believe that there is a direct cause and effect between what we put in our bodies, that reading ingredients matters and that it all impacts our health, we will eat better. We have to connect to the point that we realize we ARE the cause and the effect. We ARE the green lollapaloozas who can bring about extraordinary changes.

And there's more to this than just plastic bags and bottles and healthy food conversation. Stay with me. There's the connection to other human beings part and believing that living intentionally, in our every interaction, really matters. That how we show up in other people's lives REALLY matters (intentional kindness sound familiar?) Whether it's the person we want to yell at on the phone, or the person who blocks our way in the grocery aisle or the person who is telling a story that's too long, the way we connect, interact, respond really matters. Again, we ARE the green lollapalooza - the extraordinary, unusual person. We just have to believe it, in

dividually, collectively, and universally. We have to connect again - to each other and to the planet, we have to show up by living with intention and the rest will all fall into place. Trust me.

One Small Step for Mankind in 2013? Lots of people ask me about paper or plastic? Can't ever beat a good visual.     

And Mother Earth will thank us - right after our children and grandchildren. Here's to the year of the green lollapaloozas!  

We Made One Green Christmas Dream Come True!
It seems like ages ago that we announced the winner of our "I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas." We did a random drawing and 22 was the lucky number. Shirley Dunn Perry was our very happy winner! Her entry: "As a quilter, I have lots of beautiful fabric odds and ends .... so I use them to wrap presents in." I took the time to read all of the entries again and if you feel so inclined, they are totally worth the read before we take them down.

P.S. How funny is it that on the SAME day we announced the winner, a package arrived in the mail from my friends Bob & Amie Sue Oldfather. It was a book called The Wrapping Scarf Revolution by Patricia Lee. Subject? How to replace gift wrap, shopping bags and more with elegant, time-honored wrapping scarves.  

Here's a little experiment I would like to try. IF you do read down this far and IF you do send me an email with Wrapping Scarf in the subject line, I will send a S'well bottle and a Mrs. Green bag to the first two I receive!