On Sunday, Mom and I got out for a walk in the afternoon and ended up over at my elementary school. There were kids and parents practicing baseball on the field, other kids riding bikes and scooters, just your typical Sunday afternoon. As we walked around the yard commenting how lucky they were to go to a school surrounded on three sides by trees, we noticed some outdoor artwork near the second grade classrooms. Looking closer I realized they were old filing cabinets laying on their backs. They had been painted with a base coat of black paint, then colorful flowers were painted on top, obviously by the students. I thought this was such a fantastic way to reuse something that would’ve otherwise gone to the landfill and it was so colorful and joyful.
On my walk around the neighborhood on Monday morning I went past a tree that had lots of little birds happily floating around, the tree was budding out for spring, it was such a happy sight. I also saw the county bookmobile! Later, I headed to San Francisco to hang out with Javi, my usual Monday routine, this time we went to Ocean Beach and he had a ball chasing the birds. There were lots of jellies washed up on the beach. I also got a surprise video call from Annemarie in New Zealand, it was such a treat to get to talk to her before she headed to work. On my way home, I saw a Promposal in someone’s window – how cute!
Inspired by the Resilient Neighborhoods workshops I’m taking I stopped by a sustainability store in San Rafael and checked out all of their refillable and sustainable products. The array of items available was quite impressive. There were quite a few beauty products, which isn’t something I use much of, but it’s good to know they’re available. The refillable options ranged from liquid soap to shampoo to laundry detergent to household cleaners, to body, lotions, and more. I decided to try out some toothpaste tabs and laundry detergent sheets. I’ll keep you posted on how effective they are.
In the evening, I had the opportunity to attend a screening of a series called Empowered Heroes. The Director/producer is a woman who is part of my Resilient Neighborhoods group, Kiki Goshay. The series is airing on PBS, but I was excited to attend a group viewing at a local movie theater. The evening also included a discussion with her daughter, Chloe, who was the narrator of the programs, as well as several people from the local sustainability community. It was really cool to see all of the amazing work being done in the sustainability movement, by scientists, philanthropists, and community members. It gives me hope for the future of our planet.
