GIDDY WITH GREEN

Green is EVERYWHERE, and those of us who have spent our entire lives recycling, conserving, and trying to be earth conscious are left wondering why this is "new" information to so many. Did we study different subjects in school? Were we raised in a completely different culture than those considering a switch to organics? How did this happen? Whatever, at least there is now heightened awareness that the fat American lifestyle, promoted for so long by so many, is not sustainable long term. Hurrah!! But the stories I hear add levity to the situation.

One salt-of-the-earth type friend, Ginger, mentioned that she's never been terribly bothered by the Martha Stewart phenomena. "Martha is teaching women all of the things my mother taught to me." And if they didn't learn it from Mom, why not learn it from Martha? She puts a contemporary spin on timeless activities- whether it's tag sales (recycling) or gardening (sustainability at it's best).

Another friend mentioned "my grandmother taught me how to hang out laundry and make a meal with whatever we had in the cupboards!- What's the big deal all of a sudden?"

We are humans. It often takes pain and suffering to shake us out of our passive denial. With a wobbly economy and a sick environment, all but the extremely obtuse (and there are still plenty of them arguing that global warming is a hoax) are willingly making changes for the good of the world community. I guess necessity IS the mother of invention after all!

THE SHRINKING OF AMERICAN HOMES

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Americans are now realizing they don't need 1000 s.f. plus of space for each person living in the home. So with our current recession, rising energy costs, and the right-sizing our economy in general, perhaps the boomers really are growing up.
For years, my own three children slept in a bunk bed with a trundle, and even after I set up a third bedroom on the lower level for the 2 girls, they all continued to sleep at night in my son's room. To this day, with the last about to graduate from high school, my kids are very close. And I often wonder if our limited upstairs bedrooms (2) which kept us in fairly close proximity in spite of our large house, contributed to their close relationships.
I grew up in a family of 11 and we were all on top of each other, so there are extremes both ways. But space is a luxury with plenty of strings attached. As we reexamine the way we design and use our homes, there is plenty to consider. Most experienced professionals will offer initial consultations free of charge and that is a good place to begin when anticipating change.

GREENER BY THE MINUTE

I feel like the world I live in just caught up with the world I wanted to live in. Sure, the economy has been better and the newspapers have plenty of dreary news, but we are becoming more realistic in the way we live. Being from conservative roots, I was taught to leave a place better than how you found it (thanks, Dad). So recycling and conservation have been a way of life for me and I'm happy to see it becoming trendy. If feeling hip is what it takes for more people to embrace environmentalism, that's cool. The point is that we do the right things to ensure that we leave the earth a better place than when we found it.

INTENTIONAL SPACES NEED TO BE NURTURED

Like anything else we value, our homes/offices/play spaces need TLC in order to provide nurturing in return. As I move into the area of creating intentional spaces that heal and cultivate healthy emotions for those who work, live, and are healed in the space, I want to remember that it's a two way street, as most things are. Putting thought and attention in any direction improves the outcome.