Can you make a difference

I never thought I would blog.  Who would care what I had to say, who would read it, there wouldn't be an audience.  


Today I changed my mind. I have been reading a sampling of blog posts from a cross section of the blogging world. My new thoughts: it isn't about the size of the audience, but it is about the quality and information in the posts and the hope that even one person "gets it".  
So here goes, my first blog.


I have been inspired to effect change in my own small corner of our world.  The inspiration comes from my daughter, Julie Elkins Watson and the class she is teaching at Oregon State this summer: Geology 300 (Sustainability for the Common Good) http://ecolutionist.com/2011/07/11/sustainability-for-undergrads-what-one-oregon-state-teacher-is-doing-to-inspire-action/. I was fortunate to be in Oregon visiting when the class began, so I was there for some of the planning and initial classes.  It was a great experience for me to witness, and also to see how her students (some who had never blogged) had to learn and begin their own blogs about their small changes by day 4 of class.(http://geo300summer2011.wordpress.com/)  If they could do it, both change and blog,  well then why couldn't I; but I must admit, they had her help and needed a good grade!! (Julie, you can "grade" me)


So here goes, the message of this post:
We can make a difference in our world (and support "Sustainability for the Common Good)!  HOW??


Here are some of the changes I made in the past couple weeks:
1.Using a refillable water bottle instead of buying cases of water in plastic        bottles. Same for Daisy's (the dog) water.
2. Washing our clothes in cold water with cold water detergent.
3. Reused the packing paper and boxes from our recent move (actually recycled most of them to other families who needed them)
4. Began recycling again - not required where we live and not all trash collectors collect recycling products at the curb----so we have to transport the recycled items to a facility(check your local municipality)
5. Taking all shrubs, grass, weeds, and trees we trim to the "Bog"....a local composting drop off center
6. Buying local at the "Farmer's Markets"


Hopefully I can add to this list soon (I will let you know), and also you can all make one small change for the common good.


Lynne