tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45187747629174070032024-02-06T18:07:08.931-08:00Leanne Shawler, ArtistBlogging my way through the creative process of making art. (formerly "Provoking Beauty")Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.comBlogger728125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-22289974403615242542020-12-01T08:52:00.004-08:002020-12-01T08:54:13.659-08:00Re-reimagining Mary Magdalene<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"> In 2018, I completed my first Mary Magdalene piece based on a theory I had stumbled across that Mary of Magdala was a nickname, like Peter the Rock. She was Mary the Tower, not Mary from Magdala. However, academics are not agreed on this. Not that it mattered because I took the idea and ran with it. (This is how stories happen.)</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Here is a video going through each of the women in her tower. (2:44 one)</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U0XNdZ4v73E" width="320" youtube-src-id="U0XNdZ4v73E"></iframe></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Each of the women in the first Mary Magdalene tower are: Prisca (an early apostle with Peter), Hildegarde of Bingen (medieval abbess, painter, writer, doctor, guide to leaders), Elizabeth I (guided England into the middle way between Catholicism and Protestantism), Anne Hutchinson (dared to teach about Christian faith, was booted out of the settlement and survived), Florence Li Tim Oi (first woman to be ordained a priest in 1944).</span><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And then 2020 happened. And I took a look at this painting that sits in my altar space and thought, in light of the injustices against people of color that has been going on for centuries, that while my first Mary Magdalene painting lifted up mostly white women leaders of the church, it was way past time to lift up women of color who have been leaders in the church. (And okay, one white woman, but it was for good reason!)</span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My second Mary Magdalene is a mirror image of the first (I basically traced and flipped the image, modifying the face using a reference photo and taking a fresh tracing of that for the canvas).</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzK0GS5rhKRds85l2b5TO6As5wvRzJNUbI_U-8pYqhd74Z4sONAFg4HxRXH3YXYbOnXdsK4scbWDE6sbj4E1ikZseI5PZiOUk6vW2OVCRw51yDgZgiPlds0VTFwbmWdH_1Fa8Vj91aNN_/s735/2mmsweb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzK0GS5rhKRds85l2b5TO6As5wvRzJNUbI_U-8pYqhd74Z4sONAFg4HxRXH3YXYbOnXdsK4scbWDE6sbj4E1ikZseI5PZiOUk6vW2OVCRw51yDgZgiPlds0VTFwbmWdH_1Fa8Vj91aNN_/s16000/2mmsweb.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Starting from the bottom, the first woman is Junias — whose name was rewritten in the New Testament to be male because the transcribers had issue believing that an apostle could be a woman.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBBL-YKP-PwsVDFyAPd-g6nk83W_aQvnYU8i15JhTHGuFK1G90u0ps0iP04BYgHHvJRz4nDDoDJ652bPWlH39yhTRZRh7e7g4rzAllw2bzf-YKJTW8j7W6PxCAHDJ3O_ZuNQw3cQUmE0kn/s711/junias.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBBL-YKP-PwsVDFyAPd-g6nk83W_aQvnYU8i15JhTHGuFK1G90u0ps0iP04BYgHHvJRz4nDDoDJ652bPWlH39yhTRZRh7e7g4rzAllw2bzf-YKJTW8j7W6PxCAHDJ3O_ZuNQw3cQUmE0kn/w281-h400/junias.jpg" width="281" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Perpetua, from North Africa, an early martyr, leaving behind writings.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBwaeGquszT_oHZEQ723iTOjzl6r5_Mmj5_wj4Pgt-l620EYoNZQk43hSKkA253twXz9UGfYJAD35BAjuBggm-VE6Iid4w4_FFUlroY7JnVz8EJS-sMVz93w81i8uW6JtL70niQcgXej5/s632/perpetua.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBwaeGquszT_oHZEQ723iTOjzl6r5_Mmj5_wj4Pgt-l620EYoNZQk43hSKkA253twXz9UGfYJAD35BAjuBggm-VE6Iid4w4_FFUlroY7JnVz8EJS-sMVz93w81i8uW6JtL70niQcgXej5/w316-h400/perpetua.jpg" width="316" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Monica, also North African, long-suffering mother to St. Augustine.</span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBb9KxZ2JY_sRZ6oh-cJwzpDy5a00jrg2F_O_zLd089K77qAcxGOjYWcuVXAUrl2WxL2LUwFPHafYQ1plQo7rlJsaG_Y0Cfwie17KjjtPG3FSkCZ4p15XqZPoCaHCEcL35Bigt7GSjL05/s735/monica.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBb9KxZ2JY_sRZ6oh-cJwzpDy5a00jrg2F_O_zLd089K77qAcxGOjYWcuVXAUrl2WxL2LUwFPHafYQ1plQo7rlJsaG_Y0Cfwie17KjjtPG3FSkCZ4p15XqZPoCaHCEcL35Bigt7GSjL05/w273-h400/monica.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Anna J. Cooper, who died in 1964 at 104, is in the Episcopal Church’s “Holy Men, Holy Women” as someone who loved learning (she got her Ph.D. in Paris) and teaching, insisted on equal education for people of color, and an advocate for Black women. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9tJDI6kdgEf1OIjiT5E9V_JZuPIMuIgtjhGDB0pTHJCaNlhZkTvqtcaC3UCn4LXPKtkfMqfUGNTLhciZEHNGYkcKTnY8MUAQyTzyYUzgieVeTy5xNF7ob9yGoz1X4p4cyN0qUIx3_PSh/s662/annacooper.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi9tJDI6kdgEf1OIjiT5E9V_JZuPIMuIgtjhGDB0pTHJCaNlhZkTvqtcaC3UCn4LXPKtkfMqfUGNTLhciZEHNGYkcKTnY8MUAQyTzyYUzgieVeTy5xNF7ob9yGoz1X4p4cyN0qUIx3_PSh/w303-h400/annacooper.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The one white woman is Constance, which I included as a nod to this season of pandemic. She was the superior of an order of nuns who came to Memphis to tend those sick and dying of yellow fever in 1878.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPD8FS0jprbv-lZqwGS1OJ-ar4Rx9f3VkQQifBJTY_xUdE5UUDw2d1B3AWQqM5fmIYEDmMGn2T4p1v5XxHhp2dSIwvZroiiQhO8CsKIuMWPqkr7Skw-MY5XdN6okAFiIh_T3cI_GOdQowi/s542/constance.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPD8FS0jprbv-lZqwGS1OJ-ar4Rx9f3VkQQifBJTY_xUdE5UUDw2d1B3AWQqM5fmIYEDmMGn2T4p1v5XxHhp2dSIwvZroiiQhO8CsKIuMWPqkr7Skw-MY5XdN6okAFiIh_T3cI_GOdQowi/s320/constance.jpg" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The two Marys now form a diptych. The first Mary showing women as leaders of the church (something that certain denominations still have issue with), and the second Mary showing women of color as leaders of the church. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkFEn9B5aO9whcV2PV5gPMRmi6BEieZ7a2e1L2PU0g-b7XLEmdocRUlrcXI5dFyUmBJCZauvITNGGANvI03nUYbECSjKL4JMaSFuLTK173S1-Rva1jVK-dBDW1h8isaaAMewTmMa6SVZi/s735/2mmsweb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkFEn9B5aO9whcV2PV5gPMRmi6BEieZ7a2e1L2PU0g-b7XLEmdocRUlrcXI5dFyUmBJCZauvITNGGANvI03nUYbECSjKL4JMaSFuLTK173S1-Rva1jVK-dBDW1h8isaaAMewTmMa6SVZi/s16000/2mmsweb.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">How do you feel about these two paintings? Do you have a preference for one over the other? Why? Take it to your journal, friend! :)</span></div><p></p>Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-74416636765865346072020-07-26T09:57:00.001-07:002020-07-26T09:57:56.728-07:00Sacred Ground<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">I knew for about a week that I needed to paint. To paint out my feelings onto the canvas. This color palette is not my usual color choices, it’s full of oranges and reds which are usually accent colors. The process and my thought process at the time is hard to describe but here are a few things I do remember, while painting out anxiety and anger.</font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">I painted my palms in red paint and pressed them again and again on the canvas. </font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">For two weeks (not straight, mainly on weekends and half an hour here or there in the afternoons) I scribbled random marks and dripped alcohol ink, ink and fluid acrylics. </font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">The delicious golden color started bringing a bit more calm. About midway, I saw the profile of a face in the marks and brought that to the forefront. She speaks waterfalls of truth. An initial splash of muted violet became mountains on the horizon and much later the ocean appeared at its feet. </font></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXjbrDoXMtbAmlGn80u5-2zJJH7UqFbZDmWISfh_Jd8PmkpNY92G0SeB51QbT20ggWIXGA9ZgQxqx_KOI8PcCO2amHob6EqIYXbF7bzh_9trIbMXISTqFKJcQUy5JRn7CK8CWTRyFIFMk/s667/face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXjbrDoXMtbAmlGn80u5-2zJJH7UqFbZDmWISfh_Jd8PmkpNY92G0SeB51QbT20ggWIXGA9ZgQxqx_KOI8PcCO2amHob6EqIYXbF7bzh_9trIbMXISTqFKJcQUy5JRn7CK8CWTRyFIFMk/w300-h400/face.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">I flung sprays of white paint at it (while listening to “White Women’s Toxic Tears”, Jen Hatmaker’s podcast interview with Lisa Harper, so yes, they are.) Oh and I covered the face, so she would be spared the “tears”.</font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">For a time a bright band of teal blue cut across the bottom third but instead of bringing the desired for peace it seemed too divisive. I found a warmer blue color that brought a level of calm (a mix of teal and quinacridone magenta). </font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">I inscribed the word “hope” in the upper right. Once it was finished, a Jewish friend wondered if I’d written an abstract Hebrew chai (life) symbol at the bottom left. In the right hand corner slowly evolved two abstract figures in an embrace, two companions, and when that solidified, I had found a resolution to the painting. </font></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9Vh3iZZXs9YCvS4f8xk1gNU3diY-RRv1F2TWrqGclNBq7X02G_pNAfVt5fkBhXr9_PQBwcf8i5wb6kXqzqNer9tVgmhEQEvVOzZDPUhywjSKPiOs_JQ04l-4DeNtrljozGQpVGX9Rngk/s542/companion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9Vh3iZZXs9YCvS4f8xk1gNU3diY-RRv1F2TWrqGclNBq7X02G_pNAfVt5fkBhXr9_PQBwcf8i5wb6kXqzqNer9tVgmhEQEvVOzZDPUhywjSKPiOs_JQ04l-4DeNtrljozGQpVGX9Rngk/w369-h400/companion.jpg" width="369" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">As a painting goes, it is very busy and chaotic but these are the times we live in. These are the “messages” I got from it:</font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">There is wisdom if we but heed it. </font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">There is life. </font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">There is hope.</font></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVKxmOqcaDW_JKbQnxoA6kKz0MJpmgwnE8Yn9pt5zb99bxD2Hzqb3lXLyQdec0M66tdP0ZEbJ_qW26UUxCOuNtz-PPVQyDR33LqzwpvEGgHsiX_O2tc1EqwOa1GOD7TMcmmf2MS8XflMq/s500/hopebronze.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVKxmOqcaDW_JKbQnxoA6kKz0MJpmgwnE8Yn9pt5zb99bxD2Hzqb3lXLyQdec0M66tdP0ZEbJ_qW26UUxCOuNtz-PPVQyDR33LqzwpvEGgHsiX_O2tc1EqwOa1GOD7TMcmmf2MS8XflMq/w400-h400/hopebronze.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">There is beloved community.</font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">There is sacred ground. (The title of this painting.)</font></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinv9Gz14u1dMiEZUZ2tDOCaH3Mon-DeNy8CzkgD6AnKQRpnLcHafqQuKuaiao4-ZUTYcuFoD1-f1pfNmMp-5cUCw52D1FOuxyVl8pUnw7ZsJLFp6133RNpWQ6wzKjZDXFYp0Nvc7kNHTSQ/s502/sacredgroundskewed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="500" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinv9Gz14u1dMiEZUZ2tDOCaH3Mon-DeNy8CzkgD6AnKQRpnLcHafqQuKuaiao4-ZUTYcuFoD1-f1pfNmMp-5cUCw52D1FOuxyVl8pUnw7ZsJLFp6133RNpWQ6wzKjZDXFYp0Nvc7kNHTSQ/w499-h500/sacredgroundskewed.jpg" width="499" /></a></div><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">What messages do you receive?</font></p>Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-3094552338948855302020-07-15T07:30:00.000-07:002020-07-15T07:30:02.711-07:00Anti-racist mermaids (painting)<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">This art is flawed, imperfect, and doesn’t come near to what I had in my head, and it was my head from a month ago. If it exposes white bias, well, I will accept all noticing with humility, but acknowledging you’re under no obligation to do so. I know I have more work to do. I am learning more to do better.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">It was the second week of protests when I started this piece and I finished it around June 11. And then I sat on it because we were amplifying melanated voices and it wasn’t my time. I delayed longer because it felt like centering my white voice and this isn’t about me except in how I take action. Also, it’s personal processing. I’d been taking slow steps to learn more about racism (consistently studying it since late November) and then George Floyd and I really woke up along with many many others.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I’m an artist, so an art challenge on mermaids and whales spurred me to process what I’ve been absorbing. </p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8qGw0xj7Iorp8prlg_MCt1U3cQepFgvBwTfZm3wgRphoEWoxSfUXjdWnQj3tY3Fd70nvwHcDEEQdL4zMCQW5vREITqvZPauN6dOpIlWqYUP_RdEwdAq9oMBXOgtgqSiXHUp2u-xuYE09/s513/antiracistmermaids.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="513" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8qGw0xj7Iorp8prlg_MCt1U3cQepFgvBwTfZm3wgRphoEWoxSfUXjdWnQj3tY3Fd70nvwHcDEEQdL4zMCQW5vREITqvZPauN6dOpIlWqYUP_RdEwdAq9oMBXOgtgqSiXHUp2u-xuYE09/w500-h351/antiracistmermaids.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Two mermaids, one black, one white. I tried many ways as to how they should appear on the page for quite a while and left them kind of unmermaid-like but approximately level. The black mermaid holds up the sword of truth (that she’s been holding up for a long while) and looks at the white mermaid, whose “white culture” blindfold has slipped, but isn’t off completely (will it ever be off completely?) She has a sword of justice, to break the bonds of white supremacy. I tried to position that sword so it didn’t look like she was attacking the black mermaid but dealing with the bonds that are holding them down. Hence, her sword is pointed down.</p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5Mqx_BUAVNZbCwNMjquKFDfulz_rJxTxg5BSYzQj37ywQJRBTtRNd2dsYAsahvJpxkMf4zS9pUraSi7vxfDBaKHNeVDcKHW0-ZnoWp0zJvcRBqm21o-_DYqiGQ05tCRU_u8ZpKedZ8mN/s360/blackmermaid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="236" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5Mqx_BUAVNZbCwNMjquKFDfulz_rJxTxg5BSYzQj37ywQJRBTtRNd2dsYAsahvJpxkMf4zS9pUraSi7vxfDBaKHNeVDcKHW0-ZnoWp0zJvcRBqm21o-_DYqiGQ05tCRU_u8ZpKedZ8mN/w263-h400/blackmermaid.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Now this didn’t quite come across, because (a) I’mnot that great at illustration without references and (b) portraying black pain just felt very very wrong given I was creating this at a time of so much pain already and didn’t want to add to it, but the white bonds tug harder on the black mermaid. The white mermaid isn’t fully aware yet of all the ways white supremacy holds her down. Once white supremacy is gone, both black and white will be free. On the bonds I wrote some of the various aspects of white supremacy: school to prison pipeline, biased healthcare and so on.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Since I’ve painted this I would add the characteristics of white supremacy that I recently learned about (such as perfectionism) and maybe I wouldn’t have the bond of segregation completely cut free as it still occurs in housing and school systems.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">There is an unnamed white grasping thing that hasn’t reached anybody yet. My first thought was to leave it blank for all the ways I don’t yet know about, but now I am wondering if it’s a new way that white supremacy can reel us back in…</p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-RYcMXjzJGWMlPDCKlztnAh1ENAMcsPdm8wy7uRSIAO2CvCFjswVUCjEqCvKZIcYaOsh3P5YB2jISZbFGXc2V9hIRsE9dru3Gyi7aE0PSZhF5vPYRj1wNBNuNlKLekvGEzmvw_fxPzAV/s360/whitemermaid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="294" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-RYcMXjzJGWMlPDCKlztnAh1ENAMcsPdm8wy7uRSIAO2CvCFjswVUCjEqCvKZIcYaOsh3P5YB2jISZbFGXc2V9hIRsE9dru3Gyi7aE0PSZhF5vPYRj1wNBNuNlKLekvGEzmvw_fxPzAV/w326-h400/whitemermaid.jpg" width="326" /></a></div><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">So this was my process a month ago. I just finished another painting and will share that soon.</p>Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-19138096215346780622020-07-14T17:30:00.014-07:002020-07-14T17:30:01.057-07:00Mercy Revealed<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">[posted on Facebook and Instagram on May 29, 2020 and I wanted to post it here as well.]</p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I finished this painting and wrote the following before the latest witnessing of the deadly evils of racism in this country. There was no mercy, there was no justice, and I thought, how could I post this? So with that heaviness in my heart, I share the following, with the hope that when we remove the chains of racism from white hearts and BIPOC bodies, all of us will experience the relief and release of Divine mercy. May it be.</p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYe1kSCdjbq-FwW4sMCoo0Ig70myT4-2-uBi7QToikg7_jZ0bBbX-1-SP3mwMJjYlToybXMFO3NWq-ug9t_kGfgF7BnjDwk4s46sarzjYir3Ez198xmgZLpC3Ztm3kENN9EeFLqsgyQfK/s2048/IMG_0425.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2046" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYe1kSCdjbq-FwW4sMCoo0Ig70myT4-2-uBi7QToikg7_jZ0bBbX-1-SP3mwMJjYlToybXMFO3NWq-ug9t_kGfgF7BnjDwk4s46sarzjYir3Ez198xmgZLpC3Ztm3kENN9EeFLqsgyQfK/w400-h400/IMG_0425.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgcOPXxhUFmOZRkydSwrj6UnfBmUYgxwE-9_faZpl4CfHrtlmLhl0BCX65cmR8fc7yYVXqpSp7eZrdHUrN2NJoPNm88T-gR_tJsyw_Db-gm-O7RXiSCs9UPknnfI0fUCaJIwawOi3L0Uv/s2048/IMG_0427.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgcOPXxhUFmOZRkydSwrj6UnfBmUYgxwE-9_faZpl4CfHrtlmLhl0BCX65cmR8fc7yYVXqpSp7eZrdHUrN2NJoPNm88T-gR_tJsyw_Db-gm-O7RXiSCs9UPknnfI0fUCaJIwawOi3L0Uv/s320/IMG_0427.jpg" /></a></div><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I did not expect mercy to look this way. But as I grew closer to finishing the painting, I realized that mercy was more than I knew.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">But let me start at the beginning.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">When the pandemic started gaining ground in the United States, I continued to paint. The first painting I completed was a massive prayer to be saved from COVID-19. To be honest, it began really as a prayer for me and mine to be saved from the virus. But as I wrote my prayers across the canvas, it extended to everyone.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">As the painting continued, I invited and included prayers from other people including hidden words of prayer in the very last stage.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">So my <a href="https://www.leanneshawler.com/2020/04/finishing-prayer-painting.html">first pandemic painting</a> was full of fear and hope. You see a petitioner asking an angel for deliverance and a healing green light, Viriditas, bathing the angel, and one hopes the petitioner. Things are still a bit dark.</p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">My second pandemic painting (which I actually finished in the middle of working on the first one) was about not being able to sing because that would spread the virus.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I begin my third pandemic painting with the leftover paint from the first one and on it I wrote words from a hymn asking for mercy: I wrote it until I filled the canvas in at least four different directions.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I thought mercy was asking for it. But I was wrong.</p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The painting took on a very abstract quality as I reached for colors that felt like mercy and as I made marks and scraped paint across the canvas. Although I put together a playlist, I either worked in silence occasionally singing along myself or to a completely random song list in addition to the playlist. I became lost in the flow of the painting, watching colors drip, merge, contrast.</p>
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<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The final images emerged. Eucalyptus leaves, both stamped and drawn, appeared as symbols of resilience. (Eucalyptus trees regenerate after a cataclysmic fire.) Gold drips and outlines in a sign of divinity present everywhere.</p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8LfgPXR47DAiCaEdqKYv6Ys1VMGXS3NSMD9Tmzu757dm-j4TbEPvIOTng_DNcxqmMAGhPDktaoLJK0yP3LFF9T3Nj7YUva1l_9GSi37cmdyIiCHuHT42qG23jxfQEjx5_Fvyb8OEjXua/s2048/IMG_0426.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8LfgPXR47DAiCaEdqKYv6Ys1VMGXS3NSMD9Tmzu757dm-j4TbEPvIOTng_DNcxqmMAGhPDktaoLJK0yP3LFF9T3Nj7YUva1l_9GSi37cmdyIiCHuHT42qG23jxfQEjx5_Fvyb8OEjXua/s320/IMG_0426.jpg" /></a></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkDBOQ1xh6r5qOqHYPycTBSjrQZh0TydQ_4v0UPVVnb34uiQ19m4FOMOHnhyAzXW5-kbnREzbIroESVSFzjxd4T1eeK2Z2hQnficeorOG9pqkfWHaT28Nsfp85so4MMP29FTQDGX4TRQy/s2048/IMG_0428.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1631" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCkDBOQ1xh6r5qOqHYPycTBSjrQZh0TydQ_4v0UPVVnb34uiQ19m4FOMOHnhyAzXW5-kbnREzbIroESVSFzjxd4T1eeK2Z2hQnficeorOG9pqkfWHaT28Nsfp85so4MMP29FTQDGX4TRQy/s320/IMG_0428.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">In the center, surrounded by pastel clouds of light and wild hope and joy, are two abstract figures merging into one. It is God and soul becoming one. This is mercy. It is God becoming one with us. We are surrounded by God’s embrace from the heavens to the very foot of the earth.</p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QtUdSKRW_u-sc9bIBlJYpo8LmyHThiwulxyIVdz6IQWXQbZLOezwR1FtFj94xvrmLK8b2jxs-SBxSAxoJyIN03dp5nhyphenhyphenjruNoJX92auITxKZaZ6fIPveK1VNVwEShi6oJYSrlhER9_CM/s2048/IMG_0429.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1579" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QtUdSKRW_u-sc9bIBlJYpo8LmyHThiwulxyIVdz6IQWXQbZLOezwR1FtFj94xvrmLK8b2jxs-SBxSAxoJyIN03dp5nhyphenhyphenjruNoJX92auITxKZaZ6fIPveK1VNVwEShi6oJYSrlhER9_CM/s320/IMG_0429.jpg" /></a></p>
<p style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-74617070945123009342020-04-26T16:43:00.000-07:002020-04-26T16:43:00.822-07:00Finishing the Prayer PaintingI wasn't quite sure if she was done after yesterday's painting session but I realized that there was one more layer of prayer to be added. So I quickly fired off a request for words to be added and did a last live session on Facebook -- and attempted it over on Instagram as well.<br />
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Here's the video from the Facebook Live (I failed to save the Instagram Live one from a slightly different angle). And apologies for the muted sound, I was talking facing away from the iPhone so I didn't realize I needed to speak up a wee bit more.<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hhyoJtnnTNA/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hhyoJtnnTNA?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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The words are:<br />
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hope, safe, calm, mercy, presence, healing, joy, peace, thankful, breath, grace, community, beloved, remember, adapt, rooted, together<br />
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And here she is all finished, pending final drying time and then covering in varnish.<br />
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Close up details of the marks made by the rosemary "paintbrush":<br />
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<br />Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-1968962042453462492020-04-24T16:22:00.000-07:002020-04-24T16:22:12.043-07:00A letter from Rosemary<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I attended Flora Bowley's "Brave Intuitive Botanicals" class on Wednesday and we did some writing. In my case, that a sprig of rosemary was writing to me. The timer was up before the letter was finished, but even so, her words are words you need to hear also, so I've done a bit of editing and put it in poem form below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I want you to know you are resilient. </span> <br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Even through drought I have survived,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">you will survive too. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You are enough.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Stay grounded, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">be rooted in love.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Shelter the birds, those who need you. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Keep safe by staying put. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am full of fragrance that you love. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Your sweet medicine is useful and nourishes others. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I want you to know that all will be well, even through cataclysm and loss. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">All will be well. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And you are loved.</span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Love,</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rosemary</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And as a graphic, using the page where I did a blind contour drawing of the rosemary sprig.</span><br />
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<br />Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-79760602411596051212020-04-19T15:44:00.000-07:002020-04-19T15:44:22.891-07:00Prayer Painting 4th Facebook LiveWhere I sing snippets of various Ave Maria tunes learned while I do the repetitive act that is meditative and prayerful (interspersed with chatting with my one viewer), but aside from the opening summary, you'll miss all that unless you can find it on my Facebook feed. I also forgot to readjust the camera when I went back to work on the other wing. Sorry about that!<br />
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And here's where we are at now:<br />
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<br />Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-40374047866370563212020-04-15T11:00:00.001-07:002020-04-15T11:00:54.660-07:00Painting on Facebook Live continued...Although the second painting session I had the camera rotated so that I was sideways the whole time, but I was able to fix that. Here's the sped up version below.<br />
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And then I did another session the following day. This video is also sped-up because it turns out I hardly do any talking during these things. (The black bar is because the Facebook Live records it so that there are black bars on either side, so I zoomed in for a closer look.)<br />
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I kept going after that, and here's where we are at now.<br />
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I took it into the Procreate app as somebody spotted something which should have been obvious to me. As I couldn't unsee it, I needed to fix the issue. I've resolved that now and see my way forward with this mock-up:<br />
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This mockup will guide my process, the wings (that you can barely see in the image above as I'm still learning how to use Procreate on my iPad) will be quite different. And I need to keep working on her face and neck first, but I think I will do that without being on Facebook Live. Or maybe I'll be back when I'm ready to paint her wings. Stay tuned!<br />
<br />Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-21335603060530919532020-04-08T07:14:00.002-07:002020-04-08T07:14:33.223-07:00My interview on Bear the Light is live!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Holy cow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To be honest, I haven't listened to it yet, but I trust Christianne Squires when she says it gave her joy in editing this episode of her podcast. <strong style="caret-color: rgb(125, 120, 120); letter-spacing: 0.3199999928474426px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;">Bear the Light</strong><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(125, 120, 120); letter-spacing: 0.3199999928474426px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is an interview-style podcast that shares how light is being brought into the world by all kinds of people in all kinds of ways, big or small.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So you can listen to this "Bear the Light" episode via your favorite podcast app, or <a href="https://www.christiannesquires.com/podcast-notes/35-leanne-shawler-discerning-ones-light-and-becoming-an-artist-who-gifts-her-art">here</a> on Christianne's website.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I will circle back with additional thoughts after I've listened to it, and if you have any questions, please share them in the comments below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-29594688488339576602020-03-27T09:00:00.002-07:002020-03-27T09:42:29.170-07:00The Souls of Churches<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For at least a month, I had the idea of to write about the souls of churches, but just never got around to it. And that turns out to be a good thing, because since COVID-19 cast its shadow of my city and my state, the idea of church has radically changed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was going to write about walking into a church in Venice and knowing at once what kind of congregation inhabited it. There was a warmth and friendliness in the dark church of San Zulian, the nearest church to where I stayed. San Pantalon, which was three times the size, also had that warmth. It felt good to put in the requested Euros to light the ceiling. It felt like I was supporting the congregation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There was an air of sorrow at this tiny church on the Guidecca canal. The Chiesa di Santa Maria della Visitazione was being used by the Biennale to showcase this large sculptural room but when I looked up — there were faces painted into the ceiling that looked like it was done in the 1500s. I felt like they were missing the people who had worshipped beneath them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari fooled you with its grandiose tombs that trumpeted their self-importance throughout the main space, but the heart of the congregation lay not in these magnificent works of sculpture but in the faded wall paintings. A sense of delight and mischief to be discovered if you only looked and it felt like this congregation, while taking its faith very seriously, and all to the glory of God, also honored joy.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">see the bottom corner, peeking out?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">San Marco — well, as far as I can tell, the angels worship there. There was a weight of centuries of prayer and sheet beauty. Photos aren’t allowed, although people were taking photos with abandon, but I did sneak one in the foyer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So that was what I was going to pontificate about: that churches retain an aura of the congregation that worships within them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And then there’s my church, which I feel holds a sense of exuberant joy, even when it’s empty, although that may be colored by my experience of it. But now, none of us can gather and worship in that building and our new church is Facebook Live and Zoom meetings, so perhaps this was all just a flight of fancy on my part.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Or maybe my church is just waiting for us to come back and party and the Holy Spirit that dwells there will be thrilled to see us return and fill that space with our exuberance once more.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOfN3jPUvUcBwzRNJ1qE76zYDZHxehfQwVNztw-oT-1LrHhLx4k9tP_EgLlT6tmMq5leNTGQWNZvXLRXGgbU9RqFfdtT_2nLvNHUIKWrRDla05_WCFAnN1uUrjwz-9EmErkqcZ1CmZ0Wa/s1600/onlinemorningprayer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOfN3jPUvUcBwzRNJ1qE76zYDZHxehfQwVNztw-oT-1LrHhLx4k9tP_EgLlT6tmMq5leNTGQWNZvXLRXGgbU9RqFfdtT_2nLvNHUIKWrRDla05_WCFAnN1uUrjwz-9EmErkqcZ1CmZ0Wa/s1600/onlinemorningprayer.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the meantime, there is connection and community in praying together online, checking in during coffee hour and studying together. It makes me wonder how the virtual space will feel once we are able to return to church … will we abandon it, or have we planted a new field in which we can find deep connection, loving-kindness and that exuberant joy?</span></div>
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Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-32069102333683195602020-03-22T15:10:00.002-07:002020-03-22T15:10:30.800-07:00So I did my first Facebook Live...And after I was done, had some more prayers!<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QBTvOzp2XSk/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QBTvOzp2XSk?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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So here's the progress thus far (before I add the two new prayers):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXK2Q1st3W5nK724C4cyyJvqgsN2K_sIfbx65NktkjUDTLwmzAQeO5MPSN7cnSxo-vP_53Psxl-g_fXQUFIHKTRgRg92u4zmHtrssC1AAbPnQJNhPu8KUcK0AEw8ZBt39SqH2pNmE1WTz/s1600/ppaintingprogressprayers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXK2Q1st3W5nK724C4cyyJvqgsN2K_sIfbx65NktkjUDTLwmzAQeO5MPSN7cnSxo-vP_53Psxl-g_fXQUFIHKTRgRg92u4zmHtrssC1AAbPnQJNhPu8KUcK0AEw8ZBt39SqH2pNmE1WTz/s1600/ppaintingprogressprayers.jpg" /></a></div>
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Not sure what will happen next, beyond the hypothetical I mention in the video. I've had a couple of more prayers to add since I went live and will go add those.Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-90139696249815766732020-03-17T16:30:00.001-07:002020-03-17T16:30:59.206-07:00Join me in a Prayer Painting<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
During this time of lockdowns and social distancing, I’ve felt this need to do something to help. Monday, I felt the call to let you all in on this. But let me start from the beginning, so you can understand my request.</div>
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Last week, as COVID-19 ramped up in the United States, I remembered that I’d seen a painting in the Accademia or maybe it was Scuola Grande di Rocco (or maybe both) where the artist had created the painting as an act of devotion. I am pretty sure it was Tintoretto, but I have a vague memory of seeing also seeing a Tiepolo.</div>
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At the time, I thought little about it and moved on to the next painting. But, now I remember it. </div>
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And I thought, what if I created a painting as an act of prayer to spare us from this current plague?</div>
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I’ve entered into this very slowly and meditatively. First, the idea, then the next day, an idea of how to begin. I reset my little altar in my studio (a figurine of Mary, a candle, feather, shells, gemstones and seedpods), took the Anglican prayer beads that Br. Tom from Mt. Calvary monastery made and prayed a variation of the Rosary. Then I painted the base layer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvToAhJ0b5YDx3bI9RxST10-jTlEhQHedj4TtskI453cpFt_tg8fiI3yXbFmJNZe2NfUrtU1FuS-h0bqaa3LzXH2NwjRpM2jxypKc-5eP7LbBS50LJilS2XztRX7RzEYG47SCTBNl9Bbjm/s1600/prayerpaintingaltar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvToAhJ0b5YDx3bI9RxST10-jTlEhQHedj4TtskI453cpFt_tg8fiI3yXbFmJNZe2NfUrtU1FuS-h0bqaa3LzXH2NwjRpM2jxypKc-5eP7LbBS50LJilS2XztRX7RzEYG47SCTBNl9Bbjm/s1600/prayerpaintingaltar.jpg" /></a></div>
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Sunday, the moment morning prayer was finished (on Facebook live with my church <a href="http://www.goodsamchurch.org/">Good Samaritan Episcopal Church</a>), I went into my studio, lit the candle and started writing prayers all over the canvas. It took an hour of writing to fill the 36” by 36”.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtR19DyUVJSHlpu6e4TdyiOj_9Enf02MMGWWEmADvM0lafvAkrB7Yu3dngxQMXTVTq327d_SLZnikAHI_AbCzMquAmUJoEA8cWlUjcHe6bdJ7lpxi6jwEb3-wZZ3iMyhDj_DgWuc2L8L4/s1600/prayerpaintinglayer2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtR19DyUVJSHlpu6e4TdyiOj_9Enf02MMGWWEmADvM0lafvAkrB7Yu3dngxQMXTVTq327d_SLZnikAHI_AbCzMquAmUJoEA8cWlUjcHe6bdJ7lpxi6jwEb3-wZZ3iMyhDj_DgWuc2L8L4/s1600/prayerpaintinglayer2.jpg" /></a></div>
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Yesterday, Monday, I fell the call to let you all in on this. </div>
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<b>Would you like to add a prayer to the canvas?</b> I will write them all out onto translucent paper and glue them onto the canvas.</div>
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It doesn’t matter if you are Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Wiccan, Muslim, agnostic, atheist, whatever. But I think the more we come together and wish for good in this world, the more the world will incline to it, whether the act of prayer provokes us into action, or by some other divine act or ripple effect.</div>
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I don’t know what this painting will look like … I have half an idea of painting a Madonna of Mercy, perhaps to one side with people petitioning her. But it’s not solidified yet, and it won’t be as each step is determined to be revealed in slow and prayerful time. It could end up as an abstract.</div>
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If you’d like me to add your prayer to the painting, message me, email me or write in the comments below. I'll need them by Friday, March 20 so I can add them to the painting over the weekend.</div>
Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-2677172469044561422020-03-14T10:59:00.003-07:002020-03-19T16:49:30.438-07:00Finding Joy in Flattening the Curve<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Updated to add more resources....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLsD0ks-jXmnxRwhfDADqpIFHEwHytO5J8NWmtyGHkX2Uj1RMer_ctXM6CCzi6Q4W2APGfO00ZJ-pyduoLwm1bq9wa8RNYV_U8aH7Zw6SEaVKWwRsT2ngQULIASrJcLiIvBYZ5XnrL-U7/s1600/meandpupI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLsD0ks-jXmnxRwhfDADqpIFHEwHytO5J8NWmtyGHkX2Uj1RMer_ctXM6CCzi6Q4W2APGfO00ZJ-pyduoLwm1bq9wa8RNYV_U8aH7Zw6SEaVKWwRsT2ngQULIASrJcLiIvBYZ5XnrL-U7/s320/meandpupI.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It is just barely starting for us here, but I want to compile some links and ideas for things to do when you get stir-crazy, and you're done with your tele-working or making sure the kids have taken their class online:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Bake or cook: hopefully you have stock on hand (my store was low on flour this morning) but if you like to bake or cook, now you finally have the time, and if you have kids that are old enough to help, teach them to cook! Make chicken stock (I've been saving odds and ends in the freezer) or muffins or brownies or bread. Either make what you need to enjoy over the next few days or freeze to eat later.</li>
<li>Inventory your pantry, fridge and freezer -- what can you make out of what you've got? Put together a recipe list so you can pull something together. Short of meat? Can you convert a recipe to vegetarian and maybe a plant-based protein like beans?</li>
<li>Visit museums online. You can <a href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours">tour 12 Museums online.</a></li>
<li>That stack of vacation photos? Now's your chance to scrapbook them. (Or the first five years of your child's life. Have them help you!)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.innernaturetherapy.com/blog-1/coronavirus-anxiety-and-our-nervous-systems-self-care?fbclid=IwAR1DPQnzPwMLQ5RdD1f56ozoM8TthbG4XyZ97S7-9fvkZbHHbnM-y4JxCEc">Five Ways to reduce your anxiety during these crazy times</a> (from Inner Nature Therapy)</li>
<li>Sing! Sing like nobody can hear you. Or sing so your neighbor can join you like <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/coronavirus-italy-siena-song-canto-della-verbena-video-lockdown-a9399176.html?fbclid=IwAR1NXxLgw0cbNKX4ET1RQb8JWEtztTnbrwFD5yMHE-ihEMTPCw9R4VgwWYc">this neighborhood in Italy</a>. (I've seen more videos from various parts of Italy doing this -- obviously this one works really well if you live in an apartment building)</li>
<li>Have a hobby? Now you can devote more time to it if it's an indoors/backyard one.</li>
<li>Garden: this might be a good time to start a container vege garden or plant some flowers to brighten up your windowsill. If you can't go out to buy plants, you can order seeds and some plants online to be shipped.</li>
<li>Keep a diary. What's your daily life like now? Write about the present, the minutiae of the day and how you're feeling. This can get feelings and concerns out onto the page. Then get up and do a dance to shake off sitting still for a while.</li>
<li>Keep in touch with friends and family: call, text, and video chat</li>
<li>Keep a gratitude list: find the little things to be grateful for</li>
<li>Deep clean: ok, this probably might be a little too OCD, but if like me you work full time and housework has fallen by the wayside, tackle a room, or a corner of a room, or a shelf.</li>
<li>And, of course, Wash Your Hands!</li>
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Of course, it's also perfectly fine to binge watch the latest Korean drama on Netflix or Viki (anyone else watching "The Fiery Priest"?) but balance it out with something that keeps you engaged. </div>
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<b>We may have to stay inside, but we can choose how we live inside.</b></div>
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Any other ideas? Comment or email me and I'll start a fresh list below this line.<br />
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<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.weareteachers.com/virtual-author-activities/?fbclid=IwAR0871mTGdv6CC3lSAfZxRJI2jEJ-rYjyMAgD3S2G-njneZhXkJgY67JVe4">The Big List of Children's Authors Doing Online Read Aloud & Activities</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-10-university-art-classes-free-online?fbclid=IwAR0AjlWeSRIqOrTgbgOjy9rBfRvBiFqm-LQhfx9PO9ERCekxBTCb7KDpzks">10 University Art Classes You Can Take for Free Online</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/the-french-chef-is-now-streaming-on-prime-and-pbs/?fbclid=IwAR2OIxFz8VixGBga_SUtFl0m50tQ-43_0xH9H9N8qGm0CISm09arvfZRdWs">Bingewatch The French Chef with Julia Child</a></li>
<li><a href="https://crafty.diply.com/121060/you-can-virtually-tour-a-whole-bunch-of-national-parks-from-your?fbclid=IwAR0l32gu-6G88-1ieBNr2xJZhRZ3moxSwyJ2mlWVAZ3MEZPqxfpgKSiv4xw">Tour National Parks from your couch</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.romper.com/p/while-disney-world-disneyland-are-closed-take-your-kids-on-virtual-rides-22622893?fbclid=IwAR05lBJWu8Vxd77oajVMF4Kr6KuyyObUrS3qmGtDe58368NsZxZ-Qw-czlE">Take virtual Disney rides</a></li>
<li><a href="https://adventuresinfamilyhood.com/20-virtual-field-trips-to-take-with-your-kids.html?fbclid=IwAR3ulpF14ZjibK08oNYSIztqJKv9CXMahxyyRaMNuPgWCs83B-HsSg5Znco">Virtual Field Trips to museums etc</a> and <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SvIdgTx9djKO6SjyvPDsoGlkgE3iExmi3qh2KRRku_w/preview?pru=AAABcQTpcvo%2A1SUyF3QzAL8hhmWGT2F0-A&fbclid=IwAR2KGPgMxh5YnPWTpR3XA_2i4GTnY6HkiTuDP5sn9EX9viO1ZMIn0T1pN0k">20 more</a> (probably some overlap-this is a Google Doc)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.wkbn.com/news/coronavirus/scholastic-releases-free-daily-courses-for-kids-stuck-home-amid-coronavirus-school-closures/?fbclid=IwAR3F3_Xz221naR-TqkuxxR2boR_NW6LXAGknFiFjFsqdGtZigt9D2idQktM">Free daily courses for kids from Scholastic</a> (starting at Pre-K!)</li>
</ul>
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Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-50674326500978456292020-03-07T15:03:00.001-08:002020-03-07T15:03:39.908-08:00How The Plastic-Free Thing is Going<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Well, I am not plastic-free, and won't be until someone comes up with ways to safely sell meat and cheese and crunchy chips without a ton of plastic. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But, there were a number of practices I took on last Lent and I thought you would be interested to see how I've been doing with them in the year since:</span></div>
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<li style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">this all started with silicone straws, and I'm continuing to use them although I'm fine in doing without straws altogether for most drinks. I did a wee backslide and got a drink at 38Degrees (plastic cup! plastic film! plastic straw because of boba!) but have been pretty much on the straight and narrow for this</span></li>
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<li style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">stasher bags -- Still using them instead of ziplocks for all manner of things, including freezing leftover raw meat, and now I have cute little Stasher pouches for my vitamin gummies as the ziplocks I was using and reusing were getting a bit bedraggled. Haven't really missed ziplock bags at all, except for the marinating of meat and storing end bits of veges in the freezer for making broth.</span></li>
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<li style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">beeswax wraps -- I bought more, and it's only just now that one of them is showing signs of wearing out -- so that's using them to wrap veges, cover cans, etc. Had to dispose of one because it had been used to cover meat that was marinating (aluminum foil is the current choice for that). You can't use beeswax wraps (and expect to reuse it safely) for meat as the juices soak in and if you wash with hot water, then you've just removed the wax!</span></li>
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<li style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I bring a Contigo coffee cup when I plan to stop at Starbucks -- and if I don't bring a cup, I don't stop to get a coffee. There's still the Starbucks issue of a plastic knife with bagel and cream cheese, but that is now a rare treat. I also have a few ceramic cups on my work desk for tea or water.</span></li>
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<li style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">bringing my own milk to work instead of using the plastic creamers -- is probably a 50/50 success rate at the moment. But that's better than nothing</span></li>
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<li style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">cotton mesh bags for produce: there's been a time or two I forgot to take one to work with me so I could pick something up on the way home, but am doing pretty good with these. Am going to have to recycle one of them because some tomatoes stayed inside them a little bit too long (eww...) and washing it didn't seem to remove the stain/damage. And some have shrunk after sneaking into the dryer.</span></li>
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<li style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">silk dental floss in a glass container -- still using, although I had to find a different provider as the one I used was sold out.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">cutlery/silverware -- an area I need to get better in -- I do remember to bring when I bring lunch to work, but other times totally forget and end up eating Panda Express with a plastic fork (for example). I need to expand my travel set in order to do this, I think. I've also purchased a small wet/dry bag to bring them to and from. I also need to remember to bring a spoon to church, because although we've gone to real cups and plates, there's still wooden stirrers by the coffee pots. Wooden is better than plastic, but it still seems a bit wasteful.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Better than Bouillon" makes amazing chicken stock, although I still buy the occasional Tetra-Pak of chicken stock if I'm out and I need a lot for soup. (I also occasionally make fresh broth in my Instant Pot, but my freezer also needs to have room to store it).</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Woollen dryer balls -- are still going great, but we find that they don't work well for queen-sized bed sheets, so we are still using up our stock of dryer sheets for those.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Period panties -- it's been a year and the elastic is starting to go on a couple of pairs of Thinx. I've built up to a full set and wear them from beginning to end of my period, and hopefully they will last until the end of my menstrual cycle days. There have been no leaks or oopses, for those wondering.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Since then, I also started buying soda in glass instead of plastic bottles and most recently, I bought a Sodastream and have three glass bottles to zap some fizzy water into. I then mix those in with juice (plastic! argh!) or mix with a bit of Italian soda (sold in glass! yay!) or their "drops" (glass container, jury still out on taste).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It feels like once you start, there is no going back -- or, okay, there's going to be times when you go for the convenience instead of refusing to use the plastic, but on the whole there is no reason to change back.</span></div>
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<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There's still lots of room where plastic can be reduced, but I haven't really found decent alternatives. Yet. Such as toothbrushes: I've had reports of the wooden toothbrushes just falling apart and the "natural" toothpaste in the glass jar is usually also fluoride free, which is not something I'm interested in. I'm planning on going back to solid shampoo once I've gone through this last bottle, but am still using conditioner in a bottle because I have yet to find a solid conditioner that isn't too heavy for my hair.</span></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What I would like to do next is find a collapsible reusable cup for cold drinks, so I don't have to use the paper/plastic cups in the food court when I do eat out for lunch.</span></div>
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<div style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So that's how my reduced-plastic life is going. Still lots of plastic, but I've cut down where possible and continue to do so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This Lent I am back to spiritual disciplines, specifically the Examen, and making sure I use lotion!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Are you reducing plastic use? How's it going?</span></div>
Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-61763394097863443192019-06-15T17:23:00.004-07:002019-06-15T17:24:50.242-07:00Putting a Period to PlasticI want to begin by saying: there will be no pictures in this blog post.<br />
<br />
<br />
Lent was basically over before I could get to try another way to keep plastic out of our landfills: period panties.<br />
<br />
Yup. For your menstrual cycle. A while back I tried going to cloth pads but even though they "snapped" into place, by the time I'd walked somewhere, the pad was upside down. (Everybody say "ew!") Maybe they would have worked for me if my thighs didn't rub together, but they were not for me.<br />
<br />
But once you've opened your menstrual pad and disposed of the plastic packaging, the plastic tape cover, and then you eventually reach the foam and plastic thing that is a pad. Oh and the adhesive is plastic too. And do that at least twice a day... ladies, that is a LOT of landfill. In fact, they're <a href="https://www.wen.org.uk/environmenstrual-in-numbers">90% plastic</a> (which makes me wonder what the other 10% is).<br />
<br />
As it happened, one of my coworkers talked about getting period panties. I wanted to know more. Like, yesterday.<br />
<br />
Now they do not get an A+ in the world of zero-plastic, because they're mostly made of polyester, which is plastic. (They do have organic cotton briefs, but the inner layers of the panty lining are still some sort of polyester-fabricky-secret-thing.)<br />
<br />
I am now three cycles through and here's what I can report. They are great to wear to bed. I am betting my flow is too heavy for them on my first two days -- they're supposed to hold a tampon and a half, however much that is and I'm just -- no. Ok, so I am not brave enough to wear them to work on a heavy day.<br />
<br />
I wear them at night (even during the heaviest part of the day) and I wear them after the first two days of my period. They do the job. You rinse them and then do a delicates wash and then hang to dry. But let's talk about comfort.<br />
<br />
The company I went with is called THINX. (There is at least one other company that sells these kind of things.) They have a gorgeous plus size model wearing their hip-hugger range, which also happens to come in a color I love. Per the size guide, I was barely going to make it onto the chart. Neither the size that the guide said I should wear, nor the sized down one, stay up. So the hiphuggers have become my wearing to bed style. I mean, walking down the hall and finding your undies around your thighs is no way to live.<br />
<br />
The organic cotton briefs fit better (which I got, because they're a natural fibre) but the elastic waistband does tend to flip down when I bend over.<br />
<br />
The big large granny panties in black (Hi-Waist) fit well, but I also found that when I wore a loose pair of jeans, they didn't resist gravity and required adjusting. The styles for lighter flow days? Aren't made for my body.<br />
<br />
Styles aside ... they feel much better than a pad ever did. No bunching, no rash, no leaks.<br />
<br />
The panties are expensive, although you get a discount if you get a set. And here's the other thing -- if you take good care of them, they last about two years. (Although it wasn't clear if they stop working as period panties at that point or that's the usual life of a pair of underwear. Who knew.) But that is still better than the 14 pads a month I'd use and then throw out.<br />
<br />
It's not a perfect solution (that would be one that didn't have polyester and lasted longer) but it has greatly reduced the disposable menstrual pads and if I had enough panties to make it through a cycle, I would.<br />
<br />
In short, if the menstrual cup isn't for you, or cloth pads, try a pair of period panties. That is, if Auntie Flo still comes to visit!Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-35143683757904736222019-04-22T06:00:00.000-07:002019-04-22T06:00:00.128-07:00The List of Single-Use Plastic I Used During Lent<span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I can sadly report that there were only TWO days I went completely single-use plastic-free during Lent. Even with all the changes I made.</span><br />
<span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69); color: #454545; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Also, I stopped keeping track as of Palm Sunday, so you miss another round of "menstrual necessities", although they were off-set by reusable period panties this time. More on that in a much later post, as I need to go through another cycle with 'em.</span><br />
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</tbody></table>
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<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Wednesday, March 6:</b></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">cling wrap that was already wrapped around a cut cucumber (but I rewrapped it, so that -- nah, it still counts -- however I used it before Lent started, so yeah, it doesn't count [see <a href="https://www.leanneshawler.com/2019/04/bargaining-stage-in-keeping-lenten.html">Bargaining</a>])</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">emptied a Lay's chips bag (jalapeno flavored in case you're wondering) bought last weekend. Plastic.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">had hot chocolate this afternoon at work -- and as I threw the packet into the trash I realized that it was plastic-lined. OMG. I have a feeling I'll be making turmeric lattes or decaf tea for that afternoon warm drink for the next 40 days.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">the plastic film on my ready-made Freshly meal. This one is going to be one I'll be stuck with for the duration.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Thursday, March 7:</b></span></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">trash bag for dog poop</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cream cheese container for bagel (it is recyclable once I take it home and wash it, which honestly I don’t usually do) - also I asked them not to give me a knife and they did anyway. I left it on the counter.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lunch: lid made of 100% recycled plastic and is still recyclable. Salsa container and lid also recyclable.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">was gifted Vegemite: came in a plastic bag (which I will re-use as a umbrella bag), and a plastic mesh sleeve (which will be saved for wine bottles we bring home from our next trip to Australia)</span></li>
</ul>
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<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Friday, March 8</span></b></div>
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<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">godDAMN. I’ve been using tiny creamers in my tea and hot chocolate (the one time) without even THINKING. #*%+} [see: <a href="https://www.leanneshawler.com/2019/04/anger-stage-in-keeping-lenten-discipline.html">Anger</a>]</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Antibiotic cream sleeve from first aid kit</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cap to mini Prosecco wine bottle: two kinds of plastic. Not sure if recyclable.</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Saturday, March 9</span></b></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">plastic labels on mint and cilantro (better than clamshells). The herbs will go into reusable ziplock containers with water and covered with plastic produce bag (from previous trip) to keep them fresh</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic mesh holding lemons and limes. I could have used my cotton mesh produce bags but I needed a lot and the bags were on sale [see: <a href="https://www.leanneshawler.com/2019/04/denial-stage-in-keeping-lenten.html">Denial</a>]</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Shiitake mushrooms in plastic container with cling wrap — couldn’t buy separately</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Other plastics from shopping are recyclable and I’ll mention as they are used up</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Maxwell House instant coffee container. Should be recyclable.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Sealed for freshness” plastic, metal paper fused seal on bottle of ground cumin.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic clamshells that held last week’s herbs</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Lid to Bundaberg ginger beer: plastic (or silicone) inside the metal lid </span></li>
</ul>
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<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sunday, March 10</span></b></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">finished a TetraPak container - recyclable</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jam at lunch was in tiny plastic container - used without thinking</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic sleeve to Girl Scout Thin Mints</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bundaberg Blood orange soda also has plastic seal under tin lid (am deciding not to write down repeat offenders after this but will try to avoid consuming during Lent) [see <a href="https://www.leanneshawler.com/2019/04/denial-stage-in-keeping-lenten.html">Denial</a> again!]</span></li>
</ul>
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<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Monday, March 11</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Madura teabag tag was plasticky to the touch, so probably was</span></li>
</ul>
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<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Tuesday, March 12</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">plastic seal on Land O Lakes spreadable butter</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tortillas in resealable plastic bag. Threw away tear strip but could I reuse bag once tortillas are gone?</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic cover on doctor’s thermometer</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Received metal and wood reusable cutlery in a cute (plastic) case and the metal had plastic “covers” for shipping only</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tater tot bag</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Wednesday, March 13</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">plastic seal on new oatmeal container</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic seal on milk container</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic cup from Bibigo (recycled it)</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Thursday, March 14</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ate tuna out of plastic pouches which had unnecessary plastic wrapped plastic spoons in them</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Finished an Ocean Spray “Mocktails” container</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Friday, March 15</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">finished Nutella jar — plastic recyclable</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Saturday, March 16</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">amazon packaging — apparently marked as recyclable but difficult to do so</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Roast beef — went to the counter but it was put in plastic in a plastic baggie, none of it recyclable. Strawberries only available in plastic clamshell</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic wine glass and dessert plate are plastic.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Sunday, March 17</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">candy wrappers</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic recyclable sparkling water bottle (am buying glass bottles now)</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Monday, March 18</span></b></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ziplock bag from freezer (leftovers for dinner)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My dental floss is plastic ${}^#^{</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Tuesday, March 19</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Freshly meal and dental floss</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Menstrual necessity - not recyclable by a long shot</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Wednesday, March 20</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">finished tortillas what were in plastic bag</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Menstrual necessity</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Thursday, March 21</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Emptied plastic container of fish oil supplements</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic around new bottle of fish oil</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Finished carton of milk (mixed plastic and board, supposed to be recyclable)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To go box is plastic and they threw in plastic silverware</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Menstrual necessity</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Friday, March 22</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Menstrual necessity</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic cup and chip bag at Which Wich</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Saturday, March 23</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">menstrual necessity</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic sleeve of an eked-out Thin Mints</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Recycled clamshells from strawberries and raspberries and spinach</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Used the beeswax wraps on raw meat, so they now need to be recycled :(</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic cover on thermometer at ER vet’s (dog is ok)</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Sunday, March 24</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">recycled plastic cranberry juice container</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fruit bowl: picked up already cut in a plastic bowl</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Monday, March 25</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">plastic film on ready meal</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Tuesday, March 26</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ziplock bag for raw bacon and packaging (wouldn’t fit in large Stasher bag)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic bags that contained chopped chicken and shredded cheese</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic film from Freshly (the rest is recyclable)</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Wednesday, March 27</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">cheese in plastic</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic film from Freshly</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>March 28 and 29 are plastic free!!!</b></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Saturday, March 30</span></b></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #454545;">went out to dinner and forgot to bring a <span style="caret-color: rgb(69, 69, 69);">reusable</span> straw for the Thai iced tea</span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Sunday, March 31</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic candy wrapper</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Monday, April 1</span></b></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">finished plastic bottle of sparkling water</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Opened resealable plastic bag of marshmallows. Could clean and reuse bag for other things!</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Tuesday, April 2</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">reused plastic grocery bag for dog poop.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ramen noodles for lunch came out of plastic bag</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">dog poop bags</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Wednesday, April 3</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">dog poop bags</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Thursday, April 4</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">dog poop bags</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Friday, April 5</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">hummus plastic container</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Soap taken to retreat was wrapped in plastic in a cloth bag</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tea bag was in plastic container</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Couldn’t resist the expresso brownie on the styrofoam plate</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">dog poop bags</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Saturday, April 6</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Individual half and half for tea — not quite awake enough to remember there was milk</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Sunday, April 7</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">dog poop bags</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Monday, April 8</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">inside of lid for Italian soda is plastic/silicone</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">dog poop bags</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Tuesday, April 9</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Freshly meal - plastic film (not recyclable) and plastic container (recyclable)</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">dog poop bags</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Wednesday, April 10</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Freshly meal - plastic film</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dog poop bags</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Thursday, April 11</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Freshly meal - plastic film</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dog poop bags</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Friday, April 12</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">was gifted a chocolate croissant from 85degrees bakery in a plastic bag</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">was gifted matzah crack in plastic ziplock bag</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Finished a plastic bag of precut baguette pieces - reused it to keep the left over honey goat cheese — and then the balsamic vinegar leaked all over it...</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dog poop bags</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Saturday, April 13</b></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">bought bamboo towels to replace our paper towels (they can be rinsed/washed and reused). They came wrapped in plastic and the labeling is very shiny paper... (Company is apparently working on biodegradable wrapping) [Also, writing this a week later, we are still on our first two bamboo towels -- one being rewashed, the other is wrapping produce.]</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Put dill (has plastic label) into a produce bag and checker pulled it all the way out (I put it in stem out to make it easy for scanning) and then didn’t bother putting it back in!</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dog poop bags</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Plastic wrapped around box of candy (why???)</span></li>
</ul>
Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-79539574473733466402019-04-19T06:00:00.000-07:002019-04-19T07:34:41.954-07:00Acceptance: a stage in keeping a Lenten discipline<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here’s what I have learned about myself: I can’t completely do without single-use plastic. </span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Working full time I don’t have time to roast a chicken, keeping aside some meat to use later and then make my own chicken broth (which is still going into plastic, but reusable, containers because I broke a glass mason jar in the freezer). I mean, I can do this sometimes but it’s a level of meal planning and prep that I don’t have time for on a regular basis. </span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And that’s why plastic works: it makes it convenient to prepare meals or to eat quickly (if not always healthily). Also, it is impossible to buy meat or cheese that isn’t encased in plastic for health and safety code reasons (and <a href="https://twitter.com/AwesomeBioTA/status/1114262375446663168?s=19&fbclid=IwAR1vwNktooGYXRWhqtTwIKv2Hd_q1gVC6WlEP1Z2wLo_wUAqUzN0eb2pvBg">given a recent Twitter thread</a> about (spoiler alert) finding human body lice in salmon, I am feeling pretty grateful about that). Plus, I am not nearly ready to go vegan, which is the only way, currently, to reduce that plastic load.</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What I can do — is make chicken broth sometimes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What I can do -- is use "Better than Bouillon" to make chicken stock because it comes in a glass jar and not in a plasticky container (to be confirmed whether the taste matches, but I've heard good things)</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What I can do — is reuse that plastic bag that held my bread (or whatever) to pick up dog poop.</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What I can do — is write to companies asking for less plastic in their packaging.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What I can do -- is ask my local grocery store manager to train their staff on tare weights and handling reusable produce bags</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What I can do — is keep looking for ways to reduce my plastic usage.</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I can celebrate all the ways I have cut down (see list below) and acknowledge areas that I can tackle next, such as my art practices, where I have made some environmental changes already but I haven’t really dealt with plastic.</span></div>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Chose a tea packet that wasn’t wrapped in plastic and brought a reusable plastic tray to church coffee hour</span></li>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Bought a small bottle to work for milk instead of plastic disposable creamers</span></li>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Cotton mesh produce bags instead of the grocery store film bags</span></li>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Beeswax fabric wraps (but not with raw meat)</span></li>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><a href="https://www.stasherbag.com/">Stasher bags</a> (even to freeze meat)</span></li>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Metal and wood silverware instead of disposable plastic (although I am finding I prefer to use these when I bring my lunch to work, if I am going to eat out, I am going to eat at a proper restaurant)</span></li>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Replaced plastic (polyester) dental floss with waxed silk — no plastic packaging (it’s a glass container) and can get refills. It’s so cute.</span></li>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Woolen dryer balls - can be used for a couple of years before replacing instead of dryer sheets made with polyester (they're actually working really well, except for bed linens and its more due to the frustration of trying to unearth them all)</span></li>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Period panties (actually TBD, stay tuned for a follow-up on this one. I know you can hardly wait.)</span></li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjka8jTquCwwE9WWuOcPIJ6X29k97aijK_dN2fHBjAV9GXShCYRvqmhHpZHHfiBjgoRZzU9EIsh5EwgKS7H8brSfmZnDd0mTYSO79VHqoAfw7IyyZyj9GczFsP-wwL4V1mRUBlO1cma1OEU/s1600/dentalfloss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjka8jTquCwwE9WWuOcPIJ6X29k97aijK_dN2fHBjAV9GXShCYRvqmhHpZHHfiBjgoRZzU9EIsh5EwgKS7H8brSfmZnDd0mTYSO79VHqoAfw7IyyZyj9GczFsP-wwL4V1mRUBlO1cma1OEU/s1600/dentalfloss.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutest dental floss EVER! (From tree bird, found on Amazon)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How did your Lenten practice go?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Easter Monday (that's the day after Easter because there are 50 Days of Easter you know, not just one) I will post the list of all the plastic I used. Get ready, it'll be a long one. </span></div>
Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-23613949177765493712019-04-18T06:00:00.000-07:002019-04-18T06:00:02.294-07:00Depression: a stage in keeping a Lenten discipline<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/03/18/704471596/stomach-of-dead-whale-contained-nothing-but-plastic">Whales with guts full of plastic.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/03/13/702501726/where-will-your-plastic-trash-go-now-that-china-doesnt-want-it">Recycling piling up in warehouses</a> or being burned because nobody overseas wants to buy it our rubbish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #e4af0a; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And plastic is everywhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(<a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/i-went-to-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch">Teen Vogue does a great article on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It's not what you think.</a>)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the whole of Lent thus far, I have had two days only of not using some kind of single-use plastic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Time and time again, I find myself using something with plastic in it. From cans to dental floss to menstrual products to the inside of a cap on a glass bottle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It’s freaking everywhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/recycling-isnt-going-to-stop-plastic-from-destroying-the-earth">9% of recyclable plastic</a> ends up in recycling bins and of that 9% less and less is being actively recycled. It’s being burned, or stored in a warehouse or buried in landfill or dumped in oceans and this stuff lasts for over 500 years, breaking down into micro plastic that ends up in the food we eat.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The problem seems insurmountable and that no matter what I do, there will always be plastic. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And I’m talking single use plastic not the reusable plastic which also have a limited “in the house” lifespan before they find their way into the recycling bin (where they may or may not be recycled, see above).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That’s a whole other ball of yarn, along with disposable paper products, which at least break down but take up a lot of resources (and cut down precious trees that create air for us to breathe).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">At least I am doing something but it seems like a fight that cannot be won.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As a stage of getting through a Lenten discipline, this is particularly a dark place to be in.</span></div>
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<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">God is even here because even in this darkest moment, I feel the tug of hope, that what I am doing is making a difference.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One more stage to go!</span></div>
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Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-80939319026325761852019-04-17T06:00:00.000-07:002019-04-17T06:00:06.432-07:00Denial: a stage in keeping a Lenten discipline.<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Dan can take out the trash and then I don’t have to worry about that single-use plastic.” </span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Hey, want a ginger snap? Oh wait, it’s in single use plastic.” “So long as I don’t take the last one!”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Which makes me wonder how long that cucumber is going to stay in the produce drawer wrapped in cling wrap...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here's another way I've been denying my Lenten discipline: I stopped logging the repeat offenders. The Bundaberg ginger beer, the plastic sleeves of Thin Mints... I told myself I would stop or reduce my use of them, but I haven’t.</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You know what else is single-use plastic? Double-sided tape dispensers, acrylic paint, for starters. I haven’t even dared to look at my art practices when it comes to single use plastic. Lent stops at my art room door.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There’s a mighty long river in Egypt and in keeping a Lenten practice and they're both called denial.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What to make of this? I wrote in my journal at the start of March that my intention is to be a better steward of the resources of this earth, through reducing plastic waste and food waste.</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And I am doing better: I use beeswax wraps, silicone straws and bags, cotton mesh produce bags, ceramic mugs to drink from, bento boxes, small glass bottles of milk, dental floss made of silk instead of polyester and cutlery (silverware) that I take to/from work... These are all accomplishments. These are all ways I am reducing my use of plastic. That ain't nuthin'!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And yet, and yet...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVgqay1ZMDQIqSYM6hDFbZp8wZF8Eb44LKxIKPs8Rd1VhMOsa93JwC_fqb9UGX99fhwyVBX1O67-RkwRIX1pdn_MyyzpLjlpscahm8ah-BBBalgndORx5s3fU1ZedBF8KFCyxs8faNpw8/s1600/beeswaxwraps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="500" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVgqay1ZMDQIqSYM6hDFbZp8wZF8Eb44LKxIKPs8Rd1VhMOsa93JwC_fqb9UGX99fhwyVBX1O67-RkwRIX1pdn_MyyzpLjlpscahm8ah-BBBalgndORx5s3fU1ZedBF8KFCyxs8faNpw8/s400/beeswaxwraps.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I can't deny where plastic continues to persist in my life. If I am going to use a repeat of a single-use plastic item, I will note it. For every repeat item, I will write to the manufacturers and ask: why is this necessary?</span></div>
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<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I knew going in that this wasn’t going to be like the year I drank only water and donated the savings to a clean water program. I knew that this would open my eyes to plastic (and then some), but I didn’t expect that I would become so overwhelmed that I would turn a blind eye to it and just continue to use items that had single-use plastic within them.</span></div>
Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-53531534163650673202019-04-16T06:00:00.000-07:002019-04-16T06:00:03.577-07:00Anger: a stage in keeping a Lenten discipline<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I got so angry at myself. I had been faithfully recording all my plastic use in the first few days and all that time I’d been using tiny single-use plastic creamer cartons for milk in my hot beverages and not even noticing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not. Even. Noticing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Argh! I exclaimed on Facebook. GodDAMN! I wrote in my plastic log. I said far worse to myself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Success, winning, perfection are not what this, or any, Lenten discipline is about. Beating myself up is destructive, and God is a creative force, not destructive. I can hear my husband saying “Remember this!” as I can be harder on myself than anyone else. Doing that won’t help me succeed in my Lenten discipline, especially as it was one I had chosen knowing it wasn’t going to be something I could “win” at. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So instead I need to be creative and constructive and allow my anger to be the drive that "gets it done", such as being a voice for change. As Will Chase says in the new series “Whiskey Cavalier”, “I have my feelings. My feelings don’t have me.”</span></div>
<ul>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Instead of tiny plastic creamers? Bring my own milk to work in a small bottle.</span></li>
<li style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span>Write to the manufacturers of plastic (insert just about every product in existence here) and ask them to change their product packaging from plastic. </span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLn60VktSSj-doBU90FPS0Rka3ozvL78A_sgxnJG5_VSPyrkst3qINjZ831pC14Ua7y_uASlrEGujcrQR4fqyNkHJ6ypnS1hJQkcBnk5XiymfPbChjQTF5rN1r8uc9uZDLAsSYigNVsC9/s1600/milkbottle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLn60VktSSj-doBU90FPS0Rka3ozvL78A_sgxnJG5_VSPyrkst3qINjZ831pC14Ua7y_uASlrEGujcrQR4fqyNkHJ6ypnS1hJQkcBnk5XiymfPbChjQTF5rN1r8uc9uZDLAsSYigNVsC9/s400/milkbottle.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Did your Lenten discipline bring up feelings of anger? How are you handling it?</span></div>
Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-6941821424263569742019-04-15T06:00:00.000-07:002019-04-15T06:00:04.573-07:00Bargaining: A Stage in Keeping a Lenten Discipline<div style="color: #454545; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just like the five stages of grief, I rather suspect there are five stages of keeping a Lenten discipline. Bargaining, denial, anger, depression and acceptance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Giving up single-use plastic is proving to be quite the trial. On Day 2, I had already started bargaining with God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Is it single-use plastic if I recycle it? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Is the city actually recycling the stuff we put in our blue bins? (Apparently, yes, currently.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What if it’s made of 100% recycled plastic? Is that a second use and therefore not a single use?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I fell asleep pondering this and without getting into a whole lot of detail, God sent a message in a dream: “Stop bargaining. Just do what you can.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And that is really the thing. This Lenten discipline has opened my eyes to the ubiquitousness of plastic. I use it without even thinking. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqPCaJp0Ybu3mCYmtxDd4GHNp54QY2JZrd4oHStW0KI7vB9Qvz5MqyAD_KP4-VbMqPYJX2IN_wFSw2RMtXNOKs3HByokYDSOebWtHKtGSPmN-ivGFA8mSFMGgBzgUqKVLn6lvmqS5lPsu/s1600/stasherbags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="500" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqPCaJp0Ybu3mCYmtxDd4GHNp54QY2JZrd4oHStW0KI7vB9Qvz5MqyAD_KP4-VbMqPYJX2IN_wFSw2RMtXNOKs3HByokYDSOebWtHKtGSPmN-ivGFA8mSFMGgBzgUqKVLn6lvmqS5lPsu/s400/stasherbags.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stasher bags are reusable silicone bags that are replacing plastic bags</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It took me a while to remember to bring my own coffee cup, my own reusable silicone straws. This will take time too. That’s what all of Lent is for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">PS. The complete list of single-use plastic items I used I will publish on Easter Monday. Stay tuned for some thrilling (if depressing) reading.</span></div>
Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-91777557876248925952019-03-06T20:00:00.000-08:002019-03-06T20:00:00.135-08:00Giving up single-use plastic for LentI haven't posted here since finishing the 52 Portraits in 52 Weeks challenge. I don't know what this space is going to be but here it is, Lent, and I wanted to post about what I am giving up this Lent.<br />
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Single-use plastic.<br />
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It's amazing how much plastic we use. I am starting with cutting out single-use plastic because I am not quite ready to give up reusable plastic just yet. <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2018/02/14/best-thing-give-lent-plastic-not-chocolate-7312789/">Metro.co.uk</a> even has an article about giving up plastic for Lent.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhRzzWgjm2PmojCxi4b-dcY1GxZ91Ug_7SgdddUawDo67iHnJcdCZwI67M3iXTxi8ptWfT1HD5Y1zwqtv4gtPPKZF9MfuQUw1Kj7K5lhwuuZXjnYjv8qGwuo-z78Ol6vmdVkIie7WbLsm/s1600/stasherbags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhRzzWgjm2PmojCxi4b-dcY1GxZ91Ug_7SgdddUawDo67iHnJcdCZwI67M3iXTxi8ptWfT1HD5Y1zwqtv4gtPPKZF9MfuQUw1Kj7K5lhwuuZXjnYjv8qGwuo-z78Ol6vmdVkIie7WbLsm/s1600/stasherbags.jpg" /></a></div>
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I started a while ago with refusing straws or bringing my own reusable straws (which is made of silicone, which, yes, is plastic but it is reusable). But Lent is as good a time as any to dive in deep. I've bought <a href="https://www.stasherbag.com/">stasher bags</a> -- also made of silicone but they have a recycling program for those bags that have reached end of life.<br />
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I've also bought beeswax wraps to replace cling wrap but a set of three may not be quite enough. Considering buying another set as back up!<br />
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What I think this exercise will do is show how much single-use plastic I use without even thinking about it.<br />
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For example, today alone, I've already racked up:<br />
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<li>cling wrap that was already wrapped around a cut cucumber (but I rewrapped it, so that -- nah, it still counts -- however I used it before Lent started, so yeah, it doesn't count)</li>
<li>emptied a Lay's chips bag (jalapeno flavored in case you're wondering) bought last weekend. Plastic.</li>
<li>had hot chocolate this afternoon at work -- and as I threw the packet into the trash I realized that it was plastic-lined. OMG. I have a feeling I'll be making turmeric lattes or decaf tea for that afternoon warm drink for the next 40 days.</li>
<li>the plastic film on my Freshly meal. Guess this one is going to be one I'll be stuck with for the duration.</li>
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May be part of this observance of this particular fast (or almost fast) will be how I can advocate for alternatives with the companies/foods that I currently have no alternative but to useI have a horrible feeling this is going to end up a long, long list. I will treat you to it after Easter.</div>
Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-50044682919682942512018-11-20T19:34:00.001-08:002018-11-20T19:34:21.336-08:00I did it! Portrait 52 of 52 Portraits in (Less Than) 52 Weeks!My challenge is done! This is the last portrait of my 52 Portraits in 52 Weeks challenge!<br />
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I used a photo from unsplash to get the uptilted head angles correct. In the photo the eyes were closed, and I wanted them open.<br />
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I realized at once I hadn't sketched the chin correctly but can you see what else is off? Yeah, I didn't either. Stay tuned.<br />
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I went ahead and painted. My base colors were Liquitex cadmium-free red, smalt blue, cadmium yellow and titanium white in heavy body Golden acrylic paint. Her lips look fantastic, but the angle was wrong. Also she looked pretty grouchy and there was something else... but doesn't her nose look great?<br />
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OK, so her right eye is half an inch south of her left. I painted over it entirely and sketched using a brown Stabilo-All pencil before painting it back in.<br />
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I put some shadows in using watercolors (Moonglow, Shadow Violet by Daniel Smith) and then created a galaxy like sky using three different Martha Stewart paints in blues and purple. Sparkled with white paint.<br />
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In the bottom right corner is some green shades. That's leftover from the previous portrait. I try not to waste paint. Now it's a planet!<br />
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I scanned the final portrait, and tried to take the seam out of the middle but that didn't turn out so well.<br />
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It's called "The light in you sees the light in me."<br />
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While I was trying to fix the scan (my scanner tends to run gray) I did an oops that looked really cool, so I thought I would share it too.<br />
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As for what's next? I have absolutely no idea. I have some classes I've purchased that I'd like to get to. We shall see!Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-5821261947487225182018-11-12T18:54:00.003-08:002018-11-12T18:54:29.885-08:00Plastic free rose milk teaI love rose milk tea. It tastes so good. Since a place that sells it opened up on my way to work, I've been treating myself.<br />
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Until recently.<br />
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I don't love that it's in a plastic cup, sealed with plastic film and accessible to drink via a plastic straw. Sure, I could buy a reusable boba straw as I already have other reusable straws, but that's still a lot of plastic.<br />
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For a while I've been taking my own cup to Starbucks to put my caramel frappuchino into -- and getting 10c off as well. However, I've been told I can't bring my own cup to get rose milk tea and I can't in good conscience continue with all that plastic.<br />
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So for the last week, I've been making my own rose milk tea. I took a look at making iced tea and various rose milk tea recipes on the internet. I've been playing and to continue to play with the proportions a bit.<br />
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And it's delicious. Just as good as, if not better, than a purchased drink.<br />
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First thing in the morning, I make a strong black tea (currently using Simply Tea) with two tea bags in a large mug (I guess about 12 oz) and a teaspoon of raw sugar (it's a packet, so I'm guessing its about a teaspoon). I let it steep for 5 minutes. Once I get rid of the tea bags, I let it cool on the counter while I do all the morning getting ready for work stuff.<br />
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Right before I leave for work, I pour the tea into my 16oz Contigo travel mug, add an overflowing tablespoon of Monin Rose Syrup and add milk to fill the cup. The Contigo is completely sealable, so I put it in my bag and off I go.<br />
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Depending on how organized I am, the tea is either completely cool, or lukewarm. The Contigo holds whatever temperature it is, but that just helps me get more organized!<br />
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By the way, this is not a sponsored blog post. I plan to mix things up with different kinds of tea (as I'm eventually going to run out of the Simply Tea), or using rosewater instead of rose syrup and/or a different brand of syrup.Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4518774762917407003.post-90964552052670203182018-11-11T16:01:00.001-08:002018-11-11T16:01:15.192-08:00Number 51This will be a short post, as I forgot to take progress shots. Oops. I used white and a selection of green Arteza acrylics, Golden Titanium Buff fluid acrylic, Jane Davenport's dark blue matte acrylic paint and two of her Ultimate brush pens (Suede and Aquadisiac), and a cream/ivory Posca pen.<br />
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I, ah, may have up the brightness a bit much.<br />
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Last one is going to be a two page spread and then it's off to play with other things, I already have a large 36" x 36" blank canvas waiting for me on an easel, and I have to varnish the finished Mary Magdalene painting...<br />
<br />Leannehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07261945228201800871noreply@blogger.com0