Mouse in the house

Last night, i woke up at 4 in the morning and couldn't go back to sleep. So I just layed in bed, thinking of fun memories from this past year. Here's some of my favorites:

• Flying to Colorado to see Rudy, Mandy, Raleigh, Riccara, and a whole bunch more of my college friends!
• Getting all dressed up with some friends here in W.V. to go take pictures at the Wal-mart portrait studio.
• Being with my mom on Mother's Day for the first time in a long time!
• Spending the night on top of a mountain in a thunderstorm.
• Watching my friend Angie and her kids play in the ocean for their first time.

So, as I was enjoying my memories, I heard some scurrying in my room. It's not even winter yet! but here they are. maybe it's only one mouse...or two. but they'll be gone soon, i can guarantee that.

the perfect truck

I've been on the hunt recently for my next used car to own. My chevy cavalier has peaked out at 206,000 miles, and it seems like the engine has breathed its last. I could put a 'new' (i.e. used engine with 60,000 miles on it) into it for $900 dollars, labor included. My mcdowell county, W.V. friends tell me to replace the engine and keep it going. But i'm just not so sure...

So, I'm dreaming up the perfect car to replace it.

• Good miles per gallon (save the earth, right??)
• Stick-shift drive (way more fun)
• Space to haul my dog or my bike or my backpacking gear in the back
• Not a bank-breaker
• Low mileage

Any suggestions?

I will say this, though. Living in West Virginia makes you want to own a pickup truck. Then I would be a real mountain momma. I could mount my shotgun in the back window and the rebel flag painted on the hood. I think I actually get get away with that here. Crazy...

if it's yellow, let it....

Can anyone finish the above phrase concerning water conservation use in the bathroom?

I just came back from a weekend retreat with 40 middle school students who have joined a watershed conservation group at their school. With 40 13 and 14 yr. olds, I'd hardly call it a retreat. A chaotic break from normalcy is maybe more like it. But it was good. I got to spend some good one-on-one time with students that I have mentored in the past. And I also received some valuable info on water conservation.

In case you didn't know...

• 5 gallons of water is used each time you flush the toilet
• Keeping the water running while you brush your teeth uses 2 gallons
• For every minute of your shower, 5 gallons of water goes down the drain
• 1 quart of oil spilled into a creek contaminates 250,000 gallons of water

But here's the real crazy info that is hard to digest...

• 60% of all sewage in my county goes raw into the creek, no treatment, no filter!
• Last week, a diesel truck flipped over on the road near the creek in front of my house. 7,500 gallons spilled into the creek, killing 2,500 fish in 4 miles of stream.

McDowell County, W.V. is a small dot on the USA map, that's for sure. But one day, I hope, that dot will have properly treated sewage.

As for me, I'm thinking of putting a composting bathroom in my yard...(well, maybe not)...

here goes something

i've been a bit sluggish in entering the blog world...but my cool friends all have blogs. plus, there is just a lot of good stuff i've been reading in books recently that i have to share. like this:

"Cutting down on certain foods is good for our health and the planet, while caring about where our food comes from and what conditions it and its growers live under is good for the soul." J. Matthew Sleeth

I've been reading Sleeth's book, Serve God Save the Planet. It forces you to think - what kind of choices can i make that would be good for the planet and good for others. it reminds me that my relationship with God is deeply connected with my relationship with others, which is also deeply connected with how i treat the earth.