Dear Friends,
Over the last few days, I’ve seen two excellent conscience-bearing movies. Into the Wild, directed by Sean Penn is based on a true story. It’s a convincing cinematic portrayal of a young college-educated man who forgoes the trappings of society and our manmade shackles. His search for a ‘purer’ existence ultimately brings him to Alaska where he must attempt survival. The other film, The Eleventh Hour, directed by Leonardo DiCaprio lays out mankind’s future if global warming isn’t taken seriously. Both films left me thinking about how I live my life. They left me pondering my children’s futures if we can’t reign in our want, and stop treating nature as a thing to be bartered and sold.
Yesterday my post included a silly Christmas tree. For reference I’d snapped a photo of the delicate daughter crossing her arms. While on a sub break today, I was perusing my photos and stopped at my daughter’s image. I drew her sweet face during lunch. I pray the bright future reflected in her caramel eyes, is the bright future she will have on a beautiful healthy planet…
Thank you. May you dream of pure air and crystal water.
Delicate Daughter sketched today. Little Miss Green Apple below done with Prisma pencils several months ago.
Miss Green Apple
anntogether 
great drawing, she’s so pretty! 😄
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Thank you John. And she’s a great kid too 🙂
AM 🙂
Happy Wednesday
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I’ve lived in places all over the United States from coast to coast and northern & southern borders. When it came time to choose my retirement home in 2010 I thought long and hard about where I wanted to spend the rest of my life. I settled on Oregon because of the clean air, water and environment. Citizens of Oregon fight to keep it pristine and any politician that wants t allow offshore drilling or any project that has even the potential to damage our state better look for another job. I’ve lived in polluted New Jersey that uses salt to clear snow & ice from their roads in Winter. The results destrot vehicles in just a few years. by contrast oregon & South Carolina forbid salting and use chemical deicers or sand and cinders to maintain safe roads resulting in cars that don’t require undercoating and stay rust free for decades.
My point is that it’s up to us, the voting public, what we want happening to our planet. Make your voice heard.
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I’m originally from NJ and it is not a very attractive state, though it does have its small pockets of lovely. But I agree, it is our voices that must be heard. A big point of the movie, The 11th Hour, is the failure of government. Both political parties used to work together, but now the machine is broken and leaking oil. Oregon is breathtaking – smart choice. One of my sister’s fights to protect open land – she’s got her PhD in Native American Studies and she’s an inspiration…
AnnMarie 🙂
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I lived in Stockton, NJ near Flemington and Montclair, NJ up North. The Montclair location was part of a never ending city that was polluted in every way. Stockton was in Southern NJ and cow country, beautiful. I was there in 1976 for the bicentennial celebration and in 1978 for the two blizzards. 😦
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One of my sister’s lived in Montclair for a while long ago. We grew up in Bergen County. I worked at Paramus Park all through high school. I have 3 sibs in NJ now – 2 south, one north.
I’m trying to remember snow in ’78…
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Two blizzards, the first was supposed to be snow changing to rain. It didn’t change and dumped about 13 inches of snow with blizzard winds. The very next weekend another predicted blizzard shut down 3 states.
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Geez, ya think I’d remember – oh, well – perhaps the Buffalo winters of my youth (lived there too) take front row when it comes to snowfall.
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AnnMarie, I’m sorry to say I haven’t seen either movie — although based on what you’ve written, I think I definitely should. It’s frightening what we’re doing to our poor planet, yet our society seems more interested in glitzy, glamorous, controversial issues than taking care of “our home.” Of course, I love the art — you have a beautiful daughter (lucky you) and your drawing of her is exquisite. So too, Miss Green Apple. Finally, I’d just like to say (and I’ve said this before) what a wonderful writer you are — really, you’re a poet in the guise of a prose writer.
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Hi Deb,
The movies were tough to watch, especially the first, Into the WIld (spoiler alert – sad end) I just want to warn you. The second, Eleventh Hour, hopefully doesn’t have a sad ending. We can still fix things, but we have to change our ways as a global community. The US of course is one of the greatest offenders and our dependence on oil is the real arching problem and the catalyst for many of the earth’s woes. I run around my house shutting lights, reusing items, yelling at the kids to not waste…but in reality it’s our government that we all have a hand in putting together that needs to change – so we first need to change…let’s hope 🙂
And thank you for your lovely thoughts – you are always so very kind and supportive…
AM 🙂
Happy Wednesday
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Yes, I know exactly what you mean. I worry about doing something that might pollute the air, and then I look off into the distance and see some big factory stacks billowing crap out like nobody’s business. In Michigan, where we go, they brought in windmills — and oh boy did a lot of the people complain! “No Mistake in the Lake (Michigan)” signs all around. What’s the solution? Change, of course. And we know how that goes. Re: your writing – I mean it.
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We’ll just keep trying and sharing and perhaps….
What if the windmills were shaped like Kardashians 😉
If only humor was all that was needed to help the world.
AM 🙂
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I shouldn’t say this, but if windmills were shaped like Kardashians, most people would love windmills. Sad, but true.
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Hey, maybe this is a business idea 😉
It is sad. And it is true. Aliens will one day think many humans were stuffed with balloons…
AM 😉
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I agree with you completely. It’s not enough for individuals to do their part, however, we need to stop big business and government from destroying our world. THAT’s where the power to destroy lives. Your drawing is lovely.
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The catalyst for the earth’s injuries is big government – too much power housed inside a dysfunctional machine machine. You’re 100% correct. Let’s hope it’s not too late and we all can help change things.
Thank you.
AnnMarie 🙂
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Your daughter is gorgeous and strong, and her eyes reflect all the potential beauty that waits in the future for our children, if only we do our part to be good stewards and shepherds of Nature, which always belongs to those who will come after us.
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As a parent, a movie like the 11th Hour is difficult to watch – I pray my children will live on a healthy planet. And yes, we all must be diligent “stewards” for sake and theirs…
Thank you,
AnnMarie
Have a lovely Wednesday 🙂
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Your delicate daughter is absolutely lovely! I share your concerns about the world we are leaving for our children and grandchildren. It is frustrating to diligently recycle, compost, and use minimal packaging, then watch corporate interests pay their way out of polluting. But we need to keep being an example of the Earth-friendly way to do things. – Fawn
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Absolutely agreed, Fawn. I’m giving you a link to a environmental conservancy site. My sister works there. Her name is Virginia Kennedy and she fights preserving open space in NY… The site has a lot of interesting info on it. http://otsegolandtrust.org/
for your viewing pleasure
AM 🙂
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beautiful drawing!!!! looks just like her
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Shucks sis 🙂
Hope the boys are well and not stealing your clothes 😉
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