Fine Old Diner

Mulling over memories of a small town diner where I sat with friends and enjoyed a hot plate of biscuits and homemade gravy with a strong cup of coffee. The feeling was laid back and easy and being there laughing with friends made it that much better. I was younger then and there was a lot of chaos in my life. I was living with my best friend Jay at the time and she woke me up along with her sister and boyfriend who were also living there at the time.

Even though it was an ungodly hour for my feral-girl schedule the fact that it was such an unusual time for me jolted me into a different, calmer state of mind. Sitting in that diner with the laid back waitress that called us names like "honey" and "sweetheart" and surrounded by good company I could feel a momentary peace settle into my anxious heart. The memory for me points to the fact that peace can be found in the most chaotic and unsure periods of our lives and that peace will always lead us home. It might lead you to a damn good plate of biscuits and gravy too. 

Current song; 500 Miles - The Hooters. 

Zero Waste Movement & Christmas Calm

Hello Tuesday! The week has barely begun and already I feel like a plane getting ready for takeoff. It's a great time of year to shut the world out for a few moments and just sit. Recently I came across a YouTube video on zero waste tips and was deeply inspired. This is a movement that I had not heard of before though I believe strongly in limiting the amount of waste we produce as individuals. This is a great intro video if you're curious;

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During this chaotic period of buying things and rushing around these tips are a good way to ground ourselves and stay in touch with that greater peace inside each of us.

Refuse

1. Fight junk mail. It’s not just a waste of resources, but also of time. Register to receive less at dmachoice.org, optoutprescreen.com and catalogchoice.org.

2. Turn down freebies from conferences, fairs, and parties. Every time you take one, you create a demand to make more. Do you really need another “free” pen?

Reduce

3. Declutter your home, and donate to your local thrift shop. You’ll lighten your load and make precious resources available to those looking to buy secondhand.

4. Reduce your shopping trips and keep a shopping list. The less you bring home, the less waste you’ll have to deal with.

Reuse

5. Swap disposables for reusables (start using handkerchiefs, refillable bottles, shopping totes, cloth napkins, rags, etc.). You might find that you don’t miss your paper towels, but rather enjoy the savings.

6. Avoid grocery shopping waste: Bring reusable totes, cloth bags (for bulk aisles), and jars (for wet items like cheese and deli foods) to the store and farmers market.

Recycle

7. Know your city’s recycling policies and locations—but think of recycling as a last resort. Have you refused, reduced, or reused first? Question the need and life-cycle of your purchases. Shopping is voting.

8. Buy primarily in bulk or secondhand, but if you must buy new, choose glass, metal, or cardboard. Avoid plastic: Much of it gets shipped across the world for recycling and often ends up in the landfill (or worse yet, the ocean).

Rot

9. Find a compost system that works for your home and get to know what it will digest (dryer lint, hair, and nails are all compostable).

10. Turn your home kitchen trash can into one large compost receptacle. The bigger the compost receptacle, the more likely you’ll be to use it freely.

I believe it is important to continue to grow throughout our lives and to do the most good I can for as long as I can. Psst, here's an amazing YouTuber channel to check out if you are digging the zero waste movement;

https://www.youtube.com/user/Gittemary

Her blog and YouTube channel are inspiring me to my core! 

Until next post,

Maisy

Woman of the Week: Dolly Parton!

Today I packed up my little blue backpack and decided to take a walk over to the local Durango Joe's coffee shop. My drink of choice today was a small hot apple cider with caramel and a touch of whip! The barista that took my order was very friendly and soon I was sitting at one of the small wooden tables with a hot drink and time to myself. I had a lot of time to just sit and write down ideas for this blog and take other various notes. It felt so good to just have some space without worrying if someone might knock on my bedroom door to clean or distract me with sounds of family coming and going from the house.

I took a few deep breaths and let my eyes soak in the surrounding decorations and the simple peace of a small coffee shop on the corner of 20th. The barista that took my order would casually talk with a few of the customers and it was a nice buffer of noise as I jotted down a few words. My best friend J called me while I was there and I didn't realize how much I had needed to talk to her. We talked for about 30 minutes and I was able to hash out a lot of things that have been on my mind. So my coffee shop break was more necessary than I knew and I felt lighter after leaving. Here's a peak at the scene from my table there;

I have decided I'd like to start doing a woman of the week thing and spotlight a woman that I love and admire once a week. This week I want to put that focus on the one and only Dolly Parton! Inspired by the Christmas movie Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors on Hulu I am reminded by what an impressive woman Dolly Parton really is. More awards than can be listed, awe inspiring musical talent, a tangible humbleness of character, and her sassy style and attitude all make for one magnificent lady and today's Woman of the Week!

Do you have a favorite song by Mrs. Parton? Have you watched Christmas of Many Colors and if so what did you think? 

Until next post!

Maisy

After you've had a warm cup of milky tea in the late afternoon and you're ready for a nap. 

Tea Around the World & a Bookish Subscription Box

I get quite a bit of free time at work to cruise around online and look at things that interest me (as long as they're safe for work). The other day on YouTube I was looking at videos related to Afternoon Tea and stumbled across this cute video;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JA4r-mGkzQ

I love learning about different teas and tea practices around the world. It's amazing how different yet similar they can be! Another lovely thing my friend sent me a link to a subscription box which is SO up my alley! I kind of have my eye on the coffee and book club subscription though I think it's a little unfair that the tea and book club subscription includes stationary and the coffee one doesn't. Check it out for yourself though! http://www.teaandbookclub.com/ Which would you choose? Tea or coffee or tea or coffee?! That's a tough one!

Until next post,

Maisy

Writer Quiz; A laid back Saturday evening

http://www.playbuzz.com/brendan10/what-kind-of-a-writer-are-you?pb_traffic_source=copy

I took a little "What kind of writer are you?" quiz online and found that I have been Paulo Coelho all along! I read "The Alchemist" while I was in high school and fell in love with the meaning behind it. Continue to seek what you are personally seeking and eventually you will get there. There are deeper aspects to the story of course but I have been a fan of Mr. Coelho's ever since! I remember in college a few years within the creative writing club I was a part of we talked about the writer in question's poetry style and use of the spiritual to convey his emotions. It was an interesting conversation and so interesting that I remember about half of what we spoke of but still his writing style lingers in my mind.

At the library where I currently work I am constantly walking past books that sing to me and want me to stop and chat with them awhile. Giant picture books, autobiographies, fiction stories, cookbooks... I feel as if I am in a constant state of inspiration! As a general creative type this can be a horrific blessing when I am at work and try to scribble my ideas down while also looking busy. I often find myself leaving at the end of my shift with a book or two in my purse as well... I always have two or three books that I'm currently reading and it keeps my dreaming heart afloat.

What about you? What are your current winter reads that you're enjoying? As for tea around noon I enjoyed a hot cup of ginger tea paired with some popcorn that my boyfriend and I shared. Now it's about time I got ready for bed.

Until then!
Maisy