Why bother

I vacillate between trying to save the planet myself and thinking, why bother? For every trip to the grocery store that I walk, someone else is driving his anti-environmentalist SUV for errands near and far. Or I read people in China are lining up to buy cars for the first time to the tune of one million a DAY. Even if I recycle all I can here, the people next door might be dumping their motor oil in the yard and throwing away cans and bottles (shudder). I don't think there is enough concern globally--yet, anyway. And I know the efforts I make are barely a blip on the radar, especially when compared to the damage others are doing. Nonetheless I keep at it. I have tried to be lazy, toss plastic in the trash rather than wash it out and recycle it, for instance. But I can't. I feel too guilty. There is some saying like, If not us, who? If not now, when? I figure my solitary efforts now are better than no one, never.

There's No Place Like Home

I realized this after being away for just a short time, on the vacation that wasn't really a vacation. While this house is far from ideal, it is home and all that encompasses. I used to feel I had two homes, the one I grew up in and the one I live in. But the one I grew up in was sold to strangers several years ago, making the house I live in much more meaningful. I had the notion that it doesn't matter where we are as long as our family is together. But turns out it DOES matter where we are. There is something to be said for being surrounded by your own belongings, your own bed, your own space. Having the people I love (and the cat I love!) in our own house is about as good as it gets.