Happy Earth Day

Are you doing anything special in honor of Earth Day today? I will probably spend some time outside tending to a few of my flowers. The pictures below are just a few of what I have in my yard and in pots around my house.

I have several pots of those flowers in that image above that I nursed through the cold weather by covering them with blankets. They’re thanking me with some gorgeous blooms. The yellow flowers below were also covered when it was below freezing.

 The next flower is a new one, and I’ve misplaced the tag so I don’t know what it is. Most of the time I save the tags from new plants so I can record them along with care instructions, but this tag is eluding me at the moment. I hope it will turn up again.

Here’s a brief history of Earth Day from the National Today website: “The idea for Earth Day was originally born in 1969, when a US Senator named Gaylord Nelson, witnessed the effects of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, CA. He called to action all Americans to take a stand for the environment in 1970, and thousands of colleges and universities across the United States organized protests for a healthy, sustainable Earth. This included air pollution from factories and freeways, as well as the loss of habitats for animals and animal extinction. Because of these national rallies, the first Earth Day helped create the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts into law.”

Observance of the day varies across the U.S., but more and more people are becoming aware of the importance of protecting our planet for future generations. Still, we have a long way to go, and every small effort makes a difference. Here are some ideas:

• Recycle as much as you can
• Run errands and shop only one day a week if possible, eliminating multiple trips in a week.
• Carpool
• Conserve energy in your home by turning off lights and electronics when not in use
• Set your thermostat at 68 in the winter and 78 in the summer

A friend sent me the picture above and it made me smile. I hope it does the same for you.

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Before I close I want to share something special from Thursday. Texas Gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke was in my corner of Texas at a town hall gathering to speak to a SRO crowd in a local pub and brewery, 903 Brewers . It was a great rally, and I was thrilled to be there as a volunteer.

I’ve been a supporter since Beto ran for the Senate, and one of the main reasons I’ve always liked him as a candidate is because he always talks about finding common ground. In yesterday’s speech, I actually lost track of how many times he used that wordage. He also continuously made the point that what he’s planning to do when he’s in office is not for the Democrats, not for the Republicans, not for the Independents, it’s for Texans.

Beto talked about all the issues that he’s planning to address, and you can find a comprehensive list on the Beto For Texas website. Some things he highlighted yesterday included higher pay for teachers, voting rights, reproductive health, gun safety and more. To accomplish that, he said he’s willing to engage fellow legislators and office holders in conversations about finding the common ground needed to make the changes that will improve living conditions for everyone in the state.

Perhaps the thing that impressed me the most about the speech yesterday, and every other one Beto makes, is that he doesn’t attack his opponent on a personal level. While he does point out the things Governor Abbott has done that has caused problems for Texans, Beto doesn’t lower himself to insults or snide comments couched in humor.

In my estimation he is a stand-up guy with a great amount of integrity, and come November I do hope my fellow Texans will give him a chance.

BTW, I’m an independent when it comes to voting, so Beto doesn’t have my endorsement because he’s a Democrat. Ever since I was old enough to vote, I’ve always chosen the person, not the party, and I still adhere to that.

That’s all for now. I do hope everyone has a great weekend. Be safe. Be happy. If you have any ideas for ways to conserve and protect the environment, please share them in the comments. Pictures of flowers are welcome, too.