Seems like raising kids is like living in a murky fishbowl with your small fry. All the fish are swimming around, not able to see very well what they are each all about. They just can't get a handle on where they are going and what is up ahead of them very well. And they certainly don't know what has caused the blurry vision. Yet, those on the outside of the fish bowl can see each of the fish swim by individually and collectively when they wear their polarized glasses. Maybe the parents need to get outside of the fish bowl once in a while to get a better perspective of what's going on inside the bowl .
We went on a 20 mile bike ride with Michael's running buddy this morning. Michael went on to do another 10 miles, in preparation for his ride to Key West next week, when he plans to bike 90 miles a day. Obviously, this will be a trip without me. I'm not a masochist the way people who are long distance runners and bikers are. Four mile runs and 20 mile bike rides suit me just fine and I don't feel any sense of guilt for not achieving more. But, I'm sure I'll hear some exhaustion in Michael's voice when he checks in with me each day.
I heard from a man, who worked for Headwaters Recycling 10 years ago, yesterday. He has been in contact with the present head of the company and will send me information about their recycling operation. They work on a co-op concept and formerly didn't collect plastics. But they are operating in many small communities in Montana for the cost of $2 a household and they would collect weekly. So I'm anxious to hear what their program looks like. Do they now accept plastic, in addition to glass and aluminum?
So we would have two companies interested in our plastic. That's good. They need to have some competition. Plastic sells for .10 a pound right now. That is a huge amount and I want to be sure to contract with the company that will give us the best return. We need to weigh all the pros and cons of each company. Right now I feel that we hold the cards and have some dealing power. The gal at the recycling business here in Florida said the best advise she could give me was to be sure to get the best price we can and don't let anyone take advantage of our eagerness to find a market and buyer. I'm ready to hear about their offers and demand the best deal for the community. Hoo rah!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Recycling project explained
For thoses with who have been dragged through every detail of this project for the past few months as it has developed thus far, please bear with me. I need to bring all others up to speed.
Once I determined that there was a need for developing this recycling program and I began to field opinions, I was overwhelmed by the number of people in the community who really wanted to be able to save our landfills from over flowing with plastic. Actually, I had started with the idea of recycling glass. However, after hours of research into this direction, I found that not only is recycling glass very difficult and costly for a town remotely located as ours, but glass really isn't the problem for our environment that plastic. Where glass, which is only sand, is ground back into the soil, plastic actually swells in the landfills, taking up more room over time.
From that point I was able to get 12 people in the community of like minds yet with varied expertise's on the subject together to discuss the feasibility of implementing the project for Lewistown. They were overwhelming in agreement that this should move forward and that I should continue to manage the project.
The problem with this, however, is that now I am in Florida for the winter and can't have hands on very easily. Everyone reassured me, that in fact it, would not be difficult for me, with the access of technology available today. Oh sure, easier said than done and they aren't the ones doing it. They are great cheer leaders, but not the greatest movers and shakers at getting things done.
So, after many phone calls and e mails I don't have a sense that I ahve made a great deal of progress. I was reminded that this is a marathon not a sprint. It feels more like I'm on a treadmill, actually, but each day I push ahead a bit more, with a little more knowledge about how to get the job done.
Once I determined that there was a need for developing this recycling program and I began to field opinions, I was overwhelmed by the number of people in the community who really wanted to be able to save our landfills from over flowing with plastic. Actually, I had started with the idea of recycling glass. However, after hours of research into this direction, I found that not only is recycling glass very difficult and costly for a town remotely located as ours, but glass really isn't the problem for our environment that plastic. Where glass, which is only sand, is ground back into the soil, plastic actually swells in the landfills, taking up more room over time.
From that point I was able to get 12 people in the community of like minds yet with varied expertise's on the subject together to discuss the feasibility of implementing the project for Lewistown. They were overwhelming in agreement that this should move forward and that I should continue to manage the project.
The problem with this, however, is that now I am in Florida for the winter and can't have hands on very easily. Everyone reassured me, that in fact it, would not be difficult for me, with the access of technology available today. Oh sure, easier said than done and they aren't the ones doing it. They are great cheer leaders, but not the greatest movers and shakers at getting things done.
So, after many phone calls and e mails I don't have a sense that I ahve made a great deal of progress. I was reminded that this is a marathon not a sprint. It feels more like I'm on a treadmill, actually, but each day I push ahead a bit more, with a little more knowledge about how to get the job done.
Monday, November 28, 2011
A new dimension-Recycling
My "public" has been clamoring for me to post on my blog, so I am once again actively blogging. The main reason I hadn't written for months is because I was just too busy living my musings to have time to write them. Isn't that what life is suppose to be about? Sure I have dabbled in watercolor painting, actually taking great pleasure in my efforts. And I continue to put health and fitness high on my priority list, but you can only say so much about routines that don't really change that much from day to day.
I have been looking for many years to find my niche, where I can make my impact on my small corner of the world. Then it came to me. When reading the letter from the House of Bishops to the congregation about our responsibility to the environment, I came to the conclusion that there is something that I can do that actually isn't being done, but really needs to be done. When ever I have thought there was a place for me, I found that there were others already involved and had that area covered. Just serving as another helper on some bodiy elses project isn't my idea of finding my place in the world. But, no one has done anything about increasing the recycling capabilities of Lewistown, our summer home.
So, there is my mission for my little tiny corner of the world. We have begun a project to recycle plastic in Lewistown and the surrounding area. This will be a model program that can be used in similiar communities in size and distance. So, in addition to my usual sage thoughts, I will be sharing the progress, disappointments, and efforts I go through to get this program off the ground this year. If anyone has any suggestions or expertise to share to help me, it would be greatly accepted. I'm starting from ground zero and my learning curve is huge.
I have been looking for many years to find my niche, where I can make my impact on my small corner of the world. Then it came to me. When reading the letter from the House of Bishops to the congregation about our responsibility to the environment, I came to the conclusion that there is something that I can do that actually isn't being done, but really needs to be done. When ever I have thought there was a place for me, I found that there were others already involved and had that area covered. Just serving as another helper on some bodiy elses project isn't my idea of finding my place in the world. But, no one has done anything about increasing the recycling capabilities of Lewistown, our summer home.
So, there is my mission for my little tiny corner of the world. We have begun a project to recycle plastic in Lewistown and the surrounding area. This will be a model program that can be used in similiar communities in size and distance. So, in addition to my usual sage thoughts, I will be sharing the progress, disappointments, and efforts I go through to get this program off the ground this year. If anyone has any suggestions or expertise to share to help me, it would be greatly accepted. I'm starting from ground zero and my learning curve is huge.
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