That because of covid people are not even trying to be conscientious of the disposables.  They toss them anywhere.  Retailers, manufacturers, and policy makers have reverted to archaic packaging, bagging, and general shopping practices.  Making it near impossible to reduce plastic waste.

My top core values seem to include: hospitality, learning new things and orderliness.  Of course there are many more, but these are three that seem to be lacking lately and really make me feel like I'm failing when I don't work at them.  So these are the values give some exercise for now.  How did I come to this?  Rather than doing as the article suggested, I just thought about what made me feel bad at the end of the day, and what I needed to change to increase a sense of connection and peace.  It actually really has helped because in the days since I determined this I have felt less overwhelm and more direction when it comes to free time.

This is oh so hard- especially when you have children.  I need to stop impulse buying and stick to the idea of only getting needs, not things I want.  I also need to be certain I check what I have, and try to use what we own before I buy new things.  I need to buy items that can have multiple uses (the right water proof hiking boots can double as snow boots in our climate).  Also, perhaps I will encourage family members to give a lesson, a membership or an experience in place of one toy (that way it can be a gentler, more gradual family culture change rather than a demand). Finally, each of my two children has a subscription box that comes each month - one for STEAM and one for culture and cooking.  But after this year, perhaps we will take a break and try to be creative with all the skills (and supplies) accumulated this year!  Lastly, when we get clothes that a child dislikes, there is no use in having them clutter the closet.  I would like to find them a new home sooner rather than waiting for them to outgrow the garment before we sent in on to the next kid who might enjoy it more.

My nearest body of water is the the Herring Run, which runs into Baltimore Harbor and then to the Chesapeake Bay.  During my research I found that stormwater runoff is probably the biggest area that needs to be addressed in this region because, while the bacteria levels have been improving, the water health is still being dragged down by the runoff.

I have learned from being a home gardener the importance of balance. You can create a garden that flourishes using the relationship of the fruits and vegtables. Using a no dig method along with cardboard and compost created a rich soil with so many worms.

Ideally I'd like to take a walk in the middle of the day or during my lunch break to recharge, but these days I find myself walking at the close of the day, with the late afternoon light. I usually walk with my dog, and it can be really lovely to smell the air and be mindful of my senses and where we are in the world; to leave the work day behind, re-center, and appreciate our neighborhood.

Balance is crucial because without it, one thing overtakes the others, like the balance of prey and predators in wildlife. In our modern world, many factors have upset the balance of nature — extracting resources, polluting, over-producing and over-consuming, logging rainforests... Respect and stewardship of the land are key parts of indigenous and Native cultures, taking no more from the land than you need, and honoring its gifts.