While going about my day…

Sometimes changes sneak up on a person and then there is a moment of realization that you really aren’t quite where you had once been. Today was one of those moments.

A couple of months ago I found out about a local co-op from which I could purchase a bi-weekly box of organic produce. I was delighted by this discovery because it’s virtually impossible to get organic fruits and vegetables here in our little town. Well, apparently Wal Mart carries a small variety but I quit shopping there two years ago. Anyway, I now pick up a box of beautiful produce every other Tuesday. Today was my pick-up day.

I had already loaded the back of my Prius with our recycling so I could drop it off on my next trip to town. We’ve recycled for many years now but I have recently become hyper-vigilant about it. In fact, we are doing so well that I just got two week’s worth of household trash in one biodegradable bag. Of course, when I hear about the family that produced that much trash in a whole year, I know I still have a ways to go.

I had a series of errands to run and started at the recycling center so I could clear out the back of the car. I was delighted to see an elderly couple there dropping off their recycling, too. Guess you can teach old dogs new tricks.

Next stop was the co-op site. I had a nice chat with the woman who works it and picked up a flyer that I plan to put up at church in the hopes of finding additional co-op members. I think it’s important to support things like this and to share the information with others.

I then made a quick stop at a small grocery store where I brought in my re-usable bag rather than using the plastic bags offered at the store.

There happens to be a used book store across the street so I decided to run in for a minute. I hadn’t been in there for a few months as I’m trying to curb my book-buying habit. However, I do like to take a quick peek once in awhile because occasionally I find a real gem. Today wasn’t one of those days, though, and I left empty-handed.

Next up was the library. I adore public libraries and even though ours isn’t anything special, it is still a veritable wealth of free books, magazines, music, and movies. I have a stack of fiction books at home that I am working my way through but since I also like to have a variety of non-fiction to browse through at any given moment, I figured I’d see what I could find. Here’s what I left with:

• Tying Clouds to Rocks: Meetings and Conversations with Wise and Spiritual People by Wm. Elliott
• The Heart of Compassion: A Practical Approach to a Meaningful Life by His Holiness, The XIV Dalai Lama
• How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman
• Mary Jane’s Ideabook*Cookbook*Lifebook: For the Farmgirl in All of Us by MaryJane Butters
• Whole Green Catalog: 1,000 Best Things For You And The Earth
• Made From Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a Handmade Life by Jenna Woginrich
• an audiobook by Ram Dass, A Spiritual Journey

By this point things were becoming clear.

After picking up a quick lunch at a small, local drive-through, I went to Tractor Supply for cat food and pine shavings for the chicken coop. I also picked up the premier issue of “Urban Farm” magazine which contains articles on how to live a sustainable life, even in an urban area.

Last up was to drop off some organic kiwi at my daughter’s house (part of our co-op order and not a favored fruit in this household). I showed her the books I had picked up at the library and she told me that Jenna Woginrich (the author of “Made From Scratch”) is one of her Facebook friends and has a blog I would like. We chatted about a lot of things, including our mutual interest in what we jokingly refer to as “Hippie Stuff”. Yes, somehow…despite living in rural Oklahoma (not exactly a hot-bed of unconventional thought), the two of us have gradually become hippies of a sort. I had to chuckle to myself as I realized I was even wearing Birkenstocks and my peace sign necklace today. But don’t worry; I still bathe and wear makeup. 😉 Which is why one of my blogs is called “The Well-Groomed Hippie”. I guess my inner-hippie has finally taken over and there’s just no more hiding it. More to the point, I don’t think I want to.