There's a saying...Think Globally, Act Locally.
I try to put that in action. I'm not talking big things, but rather a series of little things I do. I have my own bags I take shopping. I try to shop at local farmer's market's in season. This year, I made friends with a organic farmer there who said he could still supply my eggs this winter. I've been driving the extra five minutes to get those eggs there. Now, you might think that extra drive wastes gas, but I reasoned that I ultimately saved money because those eggs didn't need to be transported from an mega-chicken farm to my store. And I was supporting local enterprise.
Like most everything in life, it's all about finding a balance. We have a garden. We've worked at controlling our heating costs by lowering the thermostat, dressing in layers and using the fireplace. We've worked at controlling our electric consumption with simple things like turning off lights, using energy efficient appliances... The last few years I've concentrated on water. We have a dual flush toilet (which still gives me glee!) and last year I put in a water barrel.
But as I shoveled my neighbor's sidewalk the other day, I thought, there, my little corner of the world is clear. I realized that I put that saying — Think Globally, Act Locally— in action in more than my greening of my life. I do it around my own neighborhood. I try to look after older neighbors. I know the neighborhood kids and pets by name. I feed the birds. None of them are huge matters, but I like to think my little corner of the world is nicer for it.
So, maybe while the "act locally" mentality appeals to my green and thrifty side, there's more to it. Maybe acting locally relates to being a good neighbor. Helping where you can, offering a smile or friendly hi.
I think that sense of neighborliness comes into play in a lot of my books. The new trilogy that starts in April (A Valley Ridge Wedding) has that sense of community. Neighbors don't rely on Twitter or Facebook to know what's going on in town...they go to MarVee's Quarters (which once was the Five and Dime, but when Marilee and Vivienne bought they renamed it because of inflation). One of my heroes helps an elderly neighbor when her mailbox is vandalized. Neighbors help clear fallen trees not because they had to, but because they need cleared. The people in the town comfort those with broken hearts and the cheer for true love to find a happily ever after.
I'm working on the fourth Valley Ridge book now, A Valley Ridge Christmas. The heroine lives by the motto, I Can't Change The World...But I Can Try. I think the world would be a nicer place if we tried to live by it, and spent some time acting locally when we can!
Holly
I try to put that in action. I'm not talking big things, but rather a series of little things I do. I have my own bags I take shopping. I try to shop at local farmer's market's in season. This year, I made friends with a organic farmer there who said he could still supply my eggs this winter. I've been driving the extra five minutes to get those eggs there. Now, you might think that extra drive wastes gas, but I reasoned that I ultimately saved money because those eggs didn't need to be transported from an mega-chicken farm to my store. And I was supporting local enterprise.
Like most everything in life, it's all about finding a balance. We have a garden. We've worked at controlling our heating costs by lowering the thermostat, dressing in layers and using the fireplace. We've worked at controlling our electric consumption with simple things like turning off lights, using energy efficient appliances... The last few years I've concentrated on water. We have a dual flush toilet (which still gives me glee!) and last year I put in a water barrel.
So, maybe while the "act locally" mentality appeals to my green and thrifty side, there's more to it. Maybe acting locally relates to being a good neighbor. Helping where you can, offering a smile or friendly hi.
I think that sense of neighborliness comes into play in a lot of my books. The new trilogy that starts in April (A Valley Ridge Wedding) has that sense of community. Neighbors don't rely on Twitter or Facebook to know what's going on in town...they go to MarVee's Quarters (which once was the Five and Dime, but when Marilee and Vivienne bought they renamed it because of inflation). One of my heroes helps an elderly neighbor when her mailbox is vandalized. Neighbors help clear fallen trees not because they had to, but because they need cleared. The people in the town comfort those with broken hearts and the cheer for true love to find a happily ever after.
I'm working on the fourth Valley Ridge book now, A Valley Ridge Christmas. The heroine lives by the motto, I Can't Change The World...But I Can Try. I think the world would be a nicer place if we tried to live by it, and spent some time acting locally when we can!
Holly
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