back in the bubble

this past weekend i went back east to northampton, ma for my sister's graduation. since i went to smith as well, it was like a mini-reunion for me. it was so great. ivy day was gorgeous as usual, and i almost wished i worn all white and walked in the alumni parade. and we had some nice family time, wandering around in the botanic gardens where i used to work, walking in northampton (for which i renewed my true and undying love over a cup of chai at haymarket) and eating at one of my all time favorite mexican restaurants, la veracruzana. they even had a band playing that night, which i never see, but they were excellent. i also ran into a bunch of friends from college and chatted with some of my all time fav professors. and people watched, noho is great for that. and of course we moved my sisters out of their houses and watched graduation. lovely, lovely, lovely. it almost made me want to move back to paradise city. but really, time just moves on, and i guess 4 years was enough. enough happy memories to last a long time.

sweet smell of a potential bowling alley success

here's an idea for bowling alleys, just add a (good) smell to the lanes. it’d be aromatherapy bowling, bowling for the young and hip and alternative. there could be different scents for different days or different lanes: peppermint for those that are always tired and need some pep, ylang-yalng, jasmine and rose for the lovers’ lanes, lavender to relax those that lead a high powered life, and myrrh for the spiritual seekers. the balls coudl be made to match as well. like peppermint(candy) patterened ones. though those might make people dizzy and sick. thus we coudl have a chamomile tea in the drink area to help those folks. a whole new world…

Local or organic?

i think like many other socially-environmentally conscious people...we over think things. do we do plastic or paper or byo, do we use this soap or that soap, buy in bulk or only the amount you need, make your own or support a local bakery, etc, etc, etc. so here's one: buy local or buy organic: which is more important, has a better impact on the market, is better for farmers, is better for the environment, is better, ultimately, for us? with organic it's better for our health, we're not eating all those chemicals and pesticides that cause crazy problems and probably cancer later in life. also organic keeps these same chemicals out of our water, soil and air. but local, you support a local business, keep farming in your area, and prevent all those fossil fuels to be consumed in the shipping of goods around the country/world. so, what do you do? here's an article that talks about this issue. essentially, we just have to make choices and decide, for our own reasons, that one is better than the other. read on.
Local or organic? It's a false choice By Samuel Fromartz Grist Magazine Arts and Minds 18 May 2006

And wuv, tru wuv, will fowow you foweva...

ahh, yes, love is what i'm referring to here. it appears we are at a great point in life. new jobs, new degrees, new loves, new families. my best wished go out to my friends who got engaged this weekend and those that got engaged a month ago. wow, what a powerful thing to say to someone, to agree to do, to promise. yes, i want to be with you forever. i'll bet they are on cloud 9, or maybe even cloud 10. wuv, tru wuv...

spring greens

sometimes i miss the verdant fields of a québécois spring.

healthy body = happy planet

so one thing i've been thinking about lately when i'm at the store is: "which of these products is healthiest for me/the planet?" you know, i think about things like this a lot. well, the environmental working group has a report where they looked at a ton of cosmetic type products, (including soaps, lotions, makeup, etc) and tested them and categorized them and have arranged nice little lists of brands ranked according to how harmful they are or aren't. you can click on the brand name (or search) and then on the individual products and even get a list of ingredients and learn why each product ranked where it did. (it tells you if they are toxic, endocrine disrupters, immune system toxicants...etc...) the organizational-scientist in me loves all the information and the concerned consumer in me feels better now that i can figure out which products are safer, for me, my future children, animals, and the world.... here's to keeping clean, both our bodies and the planet!

SkinDeep: Review of Products

my first post and blog ever

this is my first post as i join in on the-not-so-new-trend of blogging. for those of you that ever read this please forgive my: bad spelling and bad grammar, my lack of capitalization, my sometimes judgmental attitude, my use of "...", and my lack of effectively explaining things