I blame cheese.

All this pre-packaged have-to-have-it-ready-now goodness. Where did it start? Where did it come from? How? Why?

I have to blame Kraft, I think. Remember when Kraft Singles first came out? Little individually-wrapped slices of fake food product. Weren't they SO neat? Yay! Yummy! Cool! Different! So easy!

I'm trying to think why this was ever such a good thing. Luckily, I found an actual ad from 1969 (Wow, they've been around that long???). Here's the text: "Carefree. Progressive. New. That's the thinking behind the packaging of Kraft American Singles. Each slice individually wrapped for freshness and convenience in a wrapper that comes off neat." Ahhhh. There's that word I love: convenience. Because, you know, it's SO inconvenient to take cheese out of any other "group" package.

It's so hard to go to the deli counter and ask them to slice your cheese of choice. It's so hard to keep it in some container and just peel a slice off when you want it. It's so much more superior and progressive to put really seriously needless useless plastic into the environment. Please explain to me what part of this is carefree when we look at the state of things today?

It doesn't even taste better than the stuff from the deli. Neither does pre-packaged Jell-O, pudding, fruit, lunchmeat... shall I go on? IT DOESN'T TASTE BETTER. And it's barely real food.

I don't know how we stop it. We're so automatic at this point. Do I feel better that I figured out where it started?

Maybe a little.

Bottled Water, Delivered

When you are too lazy to go to the store for your needless pollution...

I was driving to work the other day and happened to be following an SUV that advertised a bottled water delivery service. I was annoyed. I decided to look them up to see if I should be more annoyed. I was not disappointed in my annoyance.

I was tempted, for a moment, to admire the ingenuity of a small business filling a niche, but I came to my senses quickly enough. We don't need to admire filled niches that don't really need to be filled. This company offers a wide array of "specialty" waters, delivered right to your door, so you don't have to bear the unbearable task of carrying heavy flats of bottled water yourself. Great. Now we're wasteful AND lazy.

If it's specialty bottled water, they have it. They even carry the oh-so-wonderful selection of kids' water. You know, for when you really want to teach your child to be irresponsible and disrespectful to the planet. Many. if not all of their waters are at or over $1 per bottle. Am I alone or in error in finding this a gross waste of income? In these sorry economic times, should we really be glorifying in overly expensive and unnecessary bottled water products? Why are we making it even easier for people to use plastic bottles?

You all know my answer to that. No. Here's their blurb:

"Our goal is to bring LA's urban dwellers and businesses premium select waters (artesian, spring, structured, and oxygenated) delivered to your door. The ***** ***t [name excluded, don't want to GIVE them business] acknowledges the lifestyle you have chosen and wants to provide you with a service that will suit your daily needs. You will no longer have to carry heavy cases of water from the market to your home or office!"

Hmm. How about drinking... oh, I don't know, WATER? From the tap? Filtered easily and cheaply at the tap? This kind of needless, wasteful extravagance is what has gotten us in this mess in the first place. So, I say REJECT. Can't we stop the madness? Should I applaud the waters they sell in glass, and say, "Well THAT'S better." No. This is so completely needless that I just can't get past it.

Thanks for listening (reading, really). That was truly bugging me. What's getting to YOU this week?

Autumnal Equinox 2010 Gratitude

It's the Witch's Thanksgiving. Good time to FINALLY get back to writing, settle in, get a little better at the witchiness, focus on for what I am thankful, and plan for the coming seasons.

Tall order, huh?

Think with me: What are we grateful for? I am grateful for my family... my husband, my parents and sister, my cats, and my extended family far away. I am grateful for our wonderful home... my sunny bright kitchen where I just prepared a wonderful lunch, our serene bedroom with its perfect green color, and yes, even our TV where I watch my football! (I'm grateful it's football season again!) I am grateful for my health. I am grateful we always have enough to eat and just enough money to get through the months! I'm grateful for my radio show, which is fun and gives me a chance to meet lots of cool people. I'm grateful I have cool people reading my blog right now.

Think with me: What things do we want to bring into our life? Hmm... I want to continue to bring love and light into my life. I want to bring greater opportunities to spread the urgent messages out there regarding our planet and our fragile perch on it. I want to bring greater security to our finances so we have more than "just enough"! I want to bring an even better home, with a yard for our garden and a place to hang our clothes to dry. I want to bring travel for good reasons instead of just funerals. I want all the success in the world for my Hunny.

Think with me: What things do we want released from our life? That one is easier! I want to release false, bad things from my body. I want to release worry and stress about the petty stuff. You know, don't sweat the petty stuff, just pet the sweaty stuff? And it's all petty. I want to release my need for everyday work that is not furthering my green agenda. (I am grateful for my job!!! I am!!! I just wish to release the need for it!)

Take a moment and write a few things down for yourself, too! It feels good. And it is powerful to write these things... it helps to manifest them. I hope to not be away as long anymore; thanks for being here! I'm grateful for you!