HOME By Betty Shelley (as seen in The Green Living Journal, October 2018) The theme of this issue is Healthy Home. While we know that we need to maintain the physical structure of our dwelling – the foundation, the...
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Urban Homesteading
as seen in the Green Living Journal, Spring 2019 I loved reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder books when I was young. I think that what appealed to me so much was partly that the Ingalls family worked together to be...
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Change Yourself, Change the World
–as seen in the Green Living Journal, March 2018 Sometimes I think “Wouldn’t it be great to change the way things are?”. Well, yes it would, aside from the huge responsibility inherent in that were it possible. It isn’t...
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Home
(As seen in the Green Living Journal Winter 2016) “What is the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?” Thoreau The theme of this issue is Healthy Home. Gosh, how to narrow...
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Beyond Preserving and Conserving
(as seen in the Green Living Journal, September 2016) I get so excited this time of year when I see the amazing bounty our farmers produce for us. I see the lavish mounds of tomatoes, berries, plums, corn, green beans...
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commUNITY
CommUNITY ~ by Betty Shelley (as seen in the Green Living Journal, June 2016) Imagine these scenarios: You’re in need of a tool to finish a project and really don’t want to buy something you’ll seldom use again. You have...
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Voluntary Simplicity
Voluntary Simplicity (as seen in the Green Living Journal February 2016) In 1995, my husband Jon and I signed up to take the Northwest Earth Institute’s discussion course, Voluntary Simplicity. When you read “Voluntary Simplicity”, what comes to mind? For me,...
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Reduce – the first “R”
(as seen in the Green Living Journal, Fall 2015) Reduce: the first R Let’s talk about reducing your consumption of one of life’s necessities – water. If you think back to a basic science class, remember how the teacher said that...
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It’s Sweater Weather
One of the things I like about living where there are seasons is the opportunity to wear my favorite sweaters when the weather starts getting chilly. Getting them out is much like getting reacquainted with old friends. I remember when...
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Your choices do matter
Last year I presented my class at Northwest Natural Gas over four lunch hours. At the first session, one of the participants said “I just don’t know if what I do matters.” I blurted out “You’ll feel differently at...