So This is the New Year

And I wish I wasn't sick for it.
But sickness is inevitable around this time of year for me.
So I plan on taking a long nap
ordering japanese food
and ringing in the new year
with some peppermint tea
and stock's cake.

I also began to think about resolutions.
They are not usually on my list of things to do-
but maybe this is a year for change.
2008 will be the year where I make a conscious effort
to become more environmentally friendly.

I'm not a disaster but there are some things I'd like to change
such as:

*Stop purchasing plastic water bottles
*switch my cleaning supplies to planet friendly types
*walking the shelter dogs more
*using products that were not animal tested
*making sure I ALWAYS have my chicobag on me

Nothing outrageous. Just a few ways I want to change my habits.
Possibly, if everyone else made a similar list-2008 would be
more pleasant for the entire planet.

I wish all 3 or 4 of my readers a very
Happy and Healthy New Year!
xo

Holiday Wishes from Christmas Island

This holiday season has been a very busy one.
I havent been keeping up with blogging,
and hopefully january will bring a change.

I'll be setting sail to South Jersey
for a few days
But for now, I just want to say.
Merry Christmas!!

Below is the Red Crab from Christmas Island.
-They breathe through gills, so they stay near water
-their homes are burrows
-occasionally they will engage in cannibalism
-During migration there are so many crabs
that they can be seen from the air.

The Bermuda Triangle: Part 1

Somewhere between Bermuda,
Miami, and Puerto Rico
lies an area that has defied the
laws of nature and physics-while
stringing in extraterrestrial life.
This my dear sailors,
is the Bermuda Triangle.
But does it really encompass all
those things?
or is it just a heavily traveled area
that is notorious for bad weather
and accidents?
As with any kind of Sea lore
you have the believers and the non-believers.
The hard part about being a believer
is due in part to the book that was written
by Lawrence David Kusche, titled
"The Bermuda Triangle Mystery: Solved"
In this book he investigates the so-called
"facts" and finds out that some are fiction.
The Wikipedia entry notes that he came to these
conclustions in the book:

* The number of ships and aircraft
reported missing in the area was not
significantly greater, proportionally speaking,
than in any other part of the ocean.

* In an area frequented by tropical storms,
the number of disappearances that did occur were,
for the most part, neither disproportionate, unlikely,
nor mysterious; furthermore, Berlitz and other writers
would often fail to mention such storms.

* The numbers themselves had been exaggerated
by sloppy research. A boat listed as missing
would be reported, but its eventual (if belated)
return to port may not be reported.

* Some disappearances had in fact, never happened.
One plane crash was said to have taken place in 1937
off Daytona Beach, Florida, in front of hundreds of witnesses;
a check of the local papers revealed nothing.

So maybe things aren't as mysterious
as legends lead us to believe.
Despite the reality we still have
fictional articles and made for tv
Luke Perry movies to tell us
the tall tales of the Triangle.









check back soon for part due

I've said it before

and i'll say it again.
I'm a terrible blogger.
But just because I haven't been posting
doesn't mean I have forgotten about
my precious blog.
I had planned to use the Bermuda Triangle
as the next topic. However it is hard to condense
all the lore, facts and ridiculousness into one blurb.
So I am promising right now, that part one of the
Bermuda Triangle post will happen on wednesday.
Why Wednesday? it's my day off.
For now i'll leave you with 2 things,
Something from the sea

and

Something I want as a pet

2 for the price of 1

Last year I posted a holiday gift guide
and had intentions to do the same this year.
But I am really struggling to find good,
environmentally friendly, gifts that aren't silly.
(or insanely expensive)

I've come to the conclusion that maybe this Christmas
should be about giving a gift that benefits
more than just the reciever.

Does someone on your list love dogs or cats?


















make a donation in their name
to the local no-kill shelter.
or better yet- sponsor a dog/cat
for them, so they can go visit it.

Can you do something crafty?
Make your own gifts!
I'm making felt squid
and painted glass ornaments
for the folks on my lists.

Can't do something crafty?
let the artists on etsy do it for you!
give your money directly to the artist
instead of the large corporation!
Last Christmas I comissioned
a painting for the boyfriend
and it felt good knowing that
I was helping Erika out as well.

All of these options,
along with donations to
just about any legit cause,
are the perfect way to give twice.
and thats really what Christmas is about, right?

The New World?

It seems that every day,
I find out disturbing facts
about things that are rapidly
disappearing on the planet.

Today I was wandering around the
Treehugger website
which then led me to the WWF site.
It was here that I learned that
the Coral Sea, near Australia's
Great Barrier Reef, could be threatened.

The WWF has this to say:
"Coral reefs are vanishing at a rate
5 times faster than the world's rainforests,
and the populations of large marine species -
such as sharks and tuna - are estimated
to have declined by up to 90% in many areas."

The best time to take action
is before a problem is created.
The WWF has online petitions
for all types of causes.
I signed it, and I encourage others
to do the same.
Help raise awareness so that this
can be preserved