Fearfully & Wonderfully Made: July 2010

Once in a blue moon, one of my families favorite drinks to treat ourselves to is a Henry Weinhard Root Beer. It's rich, creamy, smooth on the taste buds and served in an old fashioned brown glass bottle. Something about drinking out of that cold brown bottle adds to the nostalgia of the experience. However, once the soda is down-the-hatch, the bottle somehow loses it's flair and is quickly tossed in the the recycling bin with all of the other empty containers to be recycled. All the work and mileage that bottle went through to satisfy my craving for such a short time...but so appreciated! Now days everyone is "going green" and people are striving to take better care of our gift from God, "Earth."

According to the Clean Air Council, "in the U.S., 4.39 pounds of trash per day and up to 56 tons of trash per year are created by the average person"! I once heard this amazing story about a man who made it his life work to throw away as little trash as he possibly could. I cannot remember what his actual consumption level was, but what stood out to me was that he reused "ALL" of his foil, plastic wrap, bags, etc.... never to throw away or buy new again. So often when I reach in my drawer to grab my foil I think of that man. Somehow he made an impression on me. Crazy as it is...you can't help but find a person and cause like that, honorable. Praiseworthy! Every person "can" make a difference. Just not sure I can in that exact way...as I literally went through 6 wipes and about 10 napkins while eating out at dinner with my "Pigpen" children...not counting the foil, plastic and cardboard we were eating out of at Chipotle.

While visiting my families property in Ft. Bragg this past 4th of July, we made a stop at one of the tourists attractions, Glass Beach. Beachcombers for miles walk the shore exploring the tide pools and rummaging through the sand in search for the perfect souvenir piece(s) of sea glass to take home to cherish. My kids loved it! Avery carefully examined each stone piece by piece, that she stowed away...in my sweater pocket. And Ben was tickled just running his chubby little fingers and toes through the smooth stones and sand. Occasionally, grabbing handfuls and chucking them at us while giggling with a sly grin. Aren and I were content sitting our hineys in it and treasuring the moments and memories with the kids. Though I must say I hijacked a few stones for myself... found several that look like tear drops. So I had to take them.

To think that this beautiful beach was once home to a dump was a surprise to all who learned of the history of Glass Beach. Yes, it's true. "In the early 20th century, Fort Bragg residents threw their household garbage over the cliffs above what is now "Glass Beach." They discarded glass, appliances, and even cars. The land was owned at that time by the Union Lumber Company, and locals referred to it as "The Dumps." Sometimes fires were lit to reduce the size of the trash pile. In 1967, the North Coast Water Quality Board and city leaders closed the area. Various cleanup programs were undertaken through the years to correct the damage. Over the next several decades the pounding waves cleansed the beach, wearing down the discarded glass into the small, smooth, colored trinkets that cover the beach today." (Source: Wikipedia.org)

To think that some root beer lovin' litterbug tossed her brown glass root beer bottle over the cliffs and decades later another root beer lovin' conservationist (sorry couldn't pass it up) was snatching it up off the beach and stuffing it in her pocket to take home and treasure, is redeeming! I guess that's one long and drawn out way to recycle or re-use! We loved it! Who doesn't love a beautiful beach to explore. My little 5 year old sure does! She'd take the whole beach home with her if she could! A trait I am happy to have passed on, the little nature lover that she is! When we spend time in the great outdoors with Avery, we always have to make up an arbitrary limit on rock, shell, pine-cone, leaf smuggling with her. Otherwise, my home would be the Great Indoors. While we truly are trying to teach our children how to care for and respect this planet we live on by "taking only photographs and leaving only memories", we couldn't help but bring a little of it home with us to cherish. As my sweet little girls eyes sparkled at each new discovered glass jewel she handed me, it brought a whole new meaning to "one man's trash is another child's treasure".

The purpose of our trip was to spend time with family for the 4th of July at my families property. The property has been in my family far before I was born...it is a cherished place for the Risse Family, friends and guests. http://www.kibesillah.com/