Finally Facing Mother's Day With Gratitude

May is a busy month for me. I traveled to a writers' retreat in Texas, will appear at Flyleaf Bookstore in Chapel Hill for Children's Book Week, will read at the NYC Public Library and appear at two bookstores there during BookExpo America, and I learned that Island Sting will be featured at Bookmarks Festival in Winston-Salem, NC. All exciting stuff that I intended to prattle on about, in addition to sharing spring gardening adventures.

That plan changed when my brother phoned. He has been writing little memoir chapters for his children and grandchildren, and this month he honored our mother with his words. This year marks 50 years of our being motherless. Since 1960 I have found Mothers' Day to be the most difficult day of the year. But for some reason, my brother's words have started to ease my pain. I've always been grateful for the near perfect childhood Mother gave us, but it's also been a battle to believe the mantra I've chanted for fifty years, "Mom accomplished 90 years of work in a short 45 years. It was time for her to rest with God."

Here are the healing words of my brother, Frederick E. Miller. A short addendum of my memories follows.

May 7, 2010
As Mother’s Day approaches, I have been thinking about Mom. As I look back, I really appreciate all the things that she accomplished in her “too short” life. I don’t know how she managed to accomplish all that she did.

She cared for me while Dad was re-drafted into WW II. After the war, we moved into the same home with her parents. She help Dad start his plumbing & heating business in 1948, while she was pregnant & gave life to Bonnie. She managed the phone, was the accountant, purchasing agent, payroll clerk & many other things for the business.

At the same time, she did all the duties of a mother, wife & housewife. Washing was done with an old ringer style machine, & clothes hung out on lines. Most clothes had to be ironed.

Grandma & Granddad were also employed full time. We had a large vegetable garden which needed lots of attention. Mom & Grandma picked, cleaned, & canned for hours at a time. The shelves of the cold cellar were filled with jars of food.

As time passed, the garden shrank, a freezer was bought, an automatic washer, dryer, & a cylinder type ironing machine appeared. Some clothes were still hung out, there was still a garden, and canning & freezing were still done. On holidays hours, if not days, were spent preparing feasts.

Mom & Dad did a good job of raising us. We were taught respect, values & faith. Were shown love & responsibility. We did things together as a family. We traveled & saw many places together.

She nursed me through a long recovery from polio, & what now seems to have been more than an average amount of childhood injuries.

When Dad had spinal surgery & was in a cast from his armpits to his thighs for months, she continued with all the usual business & home duties. He was unable to bend his spine so he either had to stand, or lay flat. She had to take him everywhere, including to job sites. The business was sold because Dad could no longer do the heavy work.

She eventually started a job as an assistant at the special education school and took in ironing work for extra income. My opinion has always been that she did it because of the significant drop in income after business was sold. This was at the same time I was starting college.

During all this time, Mom continued to participate in church & community activities several evenings every week. She had a selfless attitude in which she felt that we all had a responsibility to help others.

She was human. She could lose her temper (often justified by us family members). I can’t believe that she didn’t lose her patience more frequently with all she did.

The week before Thanksgiving of November of 1960 she was walking up the back yard, coming home from work. She suffered a serious stroke. She never made it home. She’d been exhausted for weeks with unexplained bruise-like discolorations appearing on her body. In hospital she was diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a low platelet count of no known cause. She suffered more strokes & passed away on Sunday after Thanksgiving.

I was an 18 year old sophomore in college. Bonnie was 12. Mom was 45.
She lived far too short a life.

Even though she enjoyed life, I can’t help but think that she worked way too hard.
Love you Mom!


I remember all the beautiful clothes Mom made. One time she made burgundy corduroy suits for the whole family. We wore them to a state fair, and they were displayed in a local store window. She must have stayed up very late at night to sew. She had no other time.

She could dress like a fashion queen or a tomboy. She often wore a baseball cap, unusual for her time. And how she loved to drive and fuss at other drivers for their incompetence! Never curse, just tell them off with feeling! She was bold and independent.

I love you too, Mom. And I honor you this Mother's Day with more gratitude than pain, finally.

Award winning blogs. Sunshine and Books--The perfect combination.

This post is going to be unique for me. Though I've been engaged in my usual spring green activities: preparing gardens to plant, depleting local garden shop shelves, and collecting green news, this month I'm posting award news, and book-related events instead. Sometimes I forget that I'm writing a monthly blog because, well, I'm a writer. I know, that sounds nuts, but that's what I am. Nuts I mean. Yes, a nutty writer/reader.

BUT...There has been lots of sunshine lately inviting in the spring green. So I'll start with the Sunshine Award. Last month I was surprised and delighted to receive a sunshine award from the Word Press blog of Laurie J. Edwards, http://lje1.wordpress.com/ an awesome writer. I promised to pass it along. But what I didn't promise was to suggest to the twelve bloggers receiving the Sunshine Award from Bonnie Blogs Green that they must pass it on. It's spring. It's a busy time. No one needs to feel pressured to do more than the season demands. No bad karma will creep up on the following bloggers if they simply bask in the sunshine and sigh in contentment.

It was painful to choose only twelve blogs because I read so many and none as often as I wish. That time crunch issue again. So much good stuff in the world to keep up with. It makes me wonder why scads of people dwell on the negative. Wait. I need to get back on track here. Dwelling on negativity is too huge a topic for me to handle. Back to sunshine. Here are the twelve blogs that receive extra sunshine this spring. These blogs and their contributors entertain, educate, inspire, and sometimes accomplish all three at once. I hope to tell them they've recieved this award soon. Maybe you'll beat me to it!

Warm Sunshine Awards go to:

1. The Turtle Hospital http://www.turtlehospital.org/blog/
   
2. Inkygirl http://www.inkygirl.com/
   
3. The Florida Keys http://www.n-the-florida-keys.com/Florida-Keys-blog.html
4. Eco Maids http://ecomaidsofla.com/blog/
5. The Nature Conservancy http://blog.nature.org/
6. The Planet Esme Plan http://planetesme.blogspot.com/
7. One Potato Ten http://onepotatoten.blogspot.com/
8. Swati Avasthi http://swatiavasthi.blogspot.com/
9. Irene Latham http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/
10. Gratz Industries http://gratzindustries.blogspot.com/
11. Janet Fox http://kidswriterjfox.blogspot.com/
12. Jacqueline Houtman http://jjhoutman.livejournal.com/

Another way to spread sunshine is to participate is Operation Teen Book Drop sponsored by four other amazing blogs. And that's just what I'm doing tomorrow (April 15, 2010). I'm dropping off a book at my local pet supply store. A book that will simply be lying out in the open like a lost puppy waiting for someone to pick it up, take it home, and love it. These great sponsoring groups are http://www.readergirlz.com/; http://www.guyslitwire.com//; and http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/. I've already downloaded this snazzy bookplate to put on the cover.

The last event I'm participating in this week is National Library Week (April 11-17) . I'd hoped to support a blog compaign kicked off by my friend Jennifer R. Hubbard , the incredibly talented author of The Secret Year. She gets major kudos for her efforts to support our local libraries. For each comment on her blog http://writerjenn.livejournal.com/ she donated money to her library and encouraged other bloggers to take up her cause.

Because I only blog once a month and couldn't expect to gather enough comments to actually raise funds for my library, I'm donating five new novels for young readers (The Last Newspaper Boy in America, by Sue Corbett; When You Wish, by Kristen Harmel; Heck Superhero, byMartine Leavitt; When the Whistle Blows, by Fran Cannon Slayton, and Forget-Her-Nots, by Amy Brecount White) plus a supplemental cash gift of $25 to my local library. I enjoyed each of these books and want to pass along the reading pleasure. Even so, this is a supreme sacrifice for me because I consider three of these authors my friends (wish I knew all five) and hate to part with their children. But I know they will understand.

Yikes. I nearly forgot to add my own title, Island Sting, by me, Bonnie J. Doerr, to the stack of donations. That makes six new books! Told you I'm a nutty writer.


You'll probably miss the Teen Book Drop date or even National Library Week, but you can still participate. Whenever and wherever you want, leave a book of your own with a personal note in it for an unsuspecting reader of any age. In light of how many libraries across the country are being forced to cut staff, curtail purchases, limit hours of operation, or worse--shut their doors, I encourage you to donate to your own local library any time.


So that's it for this month. A departure from the usual Bonnie Blogs Green, but it's all related. Sunshine brings Green. Books teach us how to live green. And libraries need green, lots of it!

Be sure to check out the latest spots on the web where you can find me and Island Sting at http://bonniedoerrbooks.com/AboutMe.htm

Island Sting is available for special school and retail rates. Contact Cathleen Cartwright marketing@leapbks.com. Ask for it at your local bookstore or online http://www.amazon.com/ or http://www.barnesandnoble.com/.

Transitioning from the Florida Keys to the Piedmont of NC

One of the last wildlife visits I made while still in in the Keys was to my favorite tourist attraction--the Key West Aquarium. With quaint charm like no other aquarium I know (it was built by the Works Project Administration of the federal government during the depression in the early 1930s), it is a not-to-be-missed destination for any tourist. http://www.keywestaquarium.com/ The wall murals and architecture are reason enough to visit, but for such a small facility the collection of aquatic life is also remarkable. The aquarium's size allows visitors a personal experience. Patti, the enthusiastic and knowlegeable interpretor, makes certain the experience is a memorable one for all. On this cold February day, Patti wanted no visitor to miss the chance to interact with an alligator. So she walked around the aquarium speaking to her guests, carrying baby gator Chris (who wears a jacket in the cold because alligators cannot regulate their body temperature).

(Remember in most cases you can click the photos to enlarge them.)

The Keys, like the rest of the country, experienced extreme temperatures this winter resulting in the death of countless fish, turtles, and even coral. Birds suffered also, especially pelicans. Fortunately, many cold-stunned animals were rescued and saved through super-human efforts. These fortunate sea turtles were kept warm in kiddie pools under blankets or heat lamps at the Marathon Turtle Hospital . http://www.turtlehospital.org/

In addition to mining the brains of naturalists and environmentalists, I visited with readers interested in Island Sting at many venues while I traveled. One super cold night I spoke with folks during outdoor movie night at the National Key Deer Refuge. All of us were bundled up in down coats. Unbelievable! Still, I received a warm reception as we ate popcorn, schmoozed, and enjoyed every image on the old fashioned folding screen while it buckled and flapped in the oh-so-un-Keysy bitter wind. It was the first time I'd seen film footage of the heroic Jack Watson, a determined cowboy-spirited ranger credited with saving the toy deer from extinction in the 1950s.

I also enjoyed visiting Florida Keys Community College and the Key West Public Library. Thanks to all the enthusiastic readers out there! When I reached the mainland, I met fellow author Alexandra Diaz (Of All the Stupid Things, Egmont, 2010) . What a lovely lady! We read and signed at one of my favorite independent bookstores, Books & Books, in Coral Gables, FL.

While I was in Coral Gables, I visited the canal where each winter the manatees congregate to wait out cold spells. During their winter migration to warm water, they are protected by enforcing lower speed limits on boats and in some cases, by banning boat traffic completely. When I arrived at this annual manatee hangout in the midst of one of the coldest winters on record, I witnessed an amazing sight--more manatees than I'd ever seen in one place before. It's a surprise to learn that such large marine mammals do not have the body fat that whales and seals have to protect them from the cold. In addition to all the other marine life that perished this season, the harsh winter of 2010 resulted in the death of many Florida manatees. But this herd was doing well in a canal warmed by groundwater seepage. Sadly, even in this lovely canal, trash found its way on top of one of these gentle creatures.


I'm home now in NC as the first signs of spring are popping. You must search for them, but the tips of daffodils and tulips are poking above ground. My sad, brown garden depresses me until I remember my visit to the community gardens in Key West on my last island day. In the archives of BonnieBlogsGreen (August, 2009, http://bit.ly/9qPbmP) I posted about green teens who work in community gardens across the country. Was I ever thrilled to find one such amazing new garden in Key West! Please visit their Wicki for an inspirational video about building the garden. http://cgkw.pbworks.com/





This garden is an admirable example of how government and individuals young and old can work together to improve the lives and health of a community. In the photo, Jody Smith Williams prepares palm fronds for the garden's chipper. The fronds become one of many components in the compost gardeners use to grow organic food. You can learn much more about this wonderful project at http://bit.ly/93223d.



Today, as I stare out my window at brown grass and browner garden plots, I have two reasons to smile. While the gardens in Key West wind down, mine are ready to be prepared for the bounty to come. And I was blessed to have interacted with so many environmental champions while traveling to launch my novel Island Sting and research the next. There are many more hands caring for Mother Earth than we will ever know. They are too super-busy to tell their own stories. I'm super happy to do it for them.

May your spring be productive and green.

http://www.bonniedoerrbooks.com/

Going Green in Key West

Just truckin' about Key West... The go green message gets around.

It's difficult to decide what to include on this post. I've been in the Florida Keys launching Island Sting while connecting with scores of other "greenies" for the past several weeks. I don't know how to prioritize the exciting experiences I've had and photos I've taken. But I'll give it my best shot.

I kicked things off at the National Key Deer Refuge Visitor's Center http://bit.ly/96IlRa on Big Pine Key. A wonderful chance to see old friends and make new ones. The taxidermy specimen behind me on the left is a much larger buck than average, but the tiny fawn in the case is normal size. If you click on the photo you can enlarge it and just make out its head. Look closely to find the little Key deer in the photo on the right. He's wearing cammo. I promise you there is NO food in my hand. He could be the very deer that caused Kenzie to wreck her bike in chapter 8 of Island Sting. Alison Higgins, (Friends and Volunteers of the Refuges--FAVOR, Nature Conservancy, and Green Living and Energy Education, guru) arranged for the Visitor Center to provide Island Sting for tween and teen readers.

Next I co-sponsored a fundraiser at the Key West Wildlife Center http://www.keywestwildlifecenter.org/ a wild bird rescue, rehab, release program connected to a lovely natural growth park. Michelle Anderson, the director, and I became fast friends. We held a children's environmental art contest and gave copies of Island Sting to winners and to their schools. I awarded two of the winners, AJ and Raven, their books at movie night on a cold, cold Keys evening in the heart of the Key deer refuge. Join the Key West Wildlife's Facebook fan page http://bit.ly/aTwXBF .

I learned far too many tragic tales of pelican deaths, but happily joined in a pelican release after the center was able to nurse six of the birds back to health. I've also been observing a new resident, a rare, white-phased, juvenile short tail hawk, from the day it was brought in by a local family. It was injured and traumatized, but now it is eating and strong enough to be feisty and threatening. Isn't she gorgeous? She's puffing up to scare me away!

I traveled to the Marathon Sea Turtle Hospital, http://www.turtlehospital.org/another of my favorite rehab, rescue, release wildlife hospitals to update my research for Stakeout. Richie Moretti and Ryan Butts generously spent time with me to share their tales of triumph and tragedy, many of which you can read in Stakeout when it publishes January, 2011. Scooter, a young loggerhead, is one of their education turtles. Scooter washed ashore in a storm, but will be released when he reaches around 20 inches in length. He's waving to you!

I hope to share more stories of my adventures in the Florida Keys where I continue to collect stories and data for my green teen eco-mysteries. Thanks for reading, and please support your local wildlife rehab organizations. If you don't have one nearby, KWWC, FAVOR, and Marathon Turtle Hospital always need donations.

Don't forget, you can always find me at http://www.bonniedoerrbooks.com/. I'll be at the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville in March http://www.vabook.org/index.html/ and I'll be joining other members of the Debut Authors' Class of 2k10 at many May events in NYC during BEA as well.

Island Sting Enters the Kidlit World

Usually my posts cover at least one specific green topic. I struggled with a topic for this month's post (my brain was frozen along with the rest of me). My book's launch didn't seem an appropriate subject. But wait. It's all about green teens! See what Louise Hawes, award-winning author of Black Pearls, Waiting for Christopher, and Rosey in the Present Tense had to say about Island Sting :


"Impetuous Kenzie, dashing Angelo, and a fascinating cast of four-legged characters make green go down easy in this fast-paced eco-mystery."

Look at that. Island Sting is not just green, it's go-down-easy green! BonnieBlogsGreen is the perfect location to launch Island Sting after all. So raise your glasses high (yep, your eye glasses count) and wish the new baby smooth seas and fair winds, or as Angelo might say, "Wish her tight lines to hook schools of readers."

Those books at the top were the advanced reader copies that arrived weeks ago. No art or graphics in them yet.

But these images give you a sneak peek at Joanna Britt's drawings and Laurie J. Edwards' maps inside the published Island Sting. See what you have to look forward to?

I'll be a busy camper in the coming weeks sharing the news with one and all. I start celebrating with an artist friend, Lauren Patton and her critique group, in Asheville on Saturday, January 16. We have many things to celebrate: Lauren's graduation, the launch of Leap Books publishing company, and the launch of my debut novel, Island Sting. The festivities begin at one of my favorite bookstores, Malaprop's Books and Cafe, around 2:30 pm.

After that celebration I pack and begin my migration south to the Florida Keys, and I don't stop for long until I reach mile marker zero. That's when the fun begins. So, if you're in the Southern Most City or nearby, you can find me reading, writing, or raising a glass. Stay tuned, the schedule keeps changing.

February 4:KONK AM "Eco-centric View" with Erika Biddle 2 - 3pm, Key West
February 5: National Key Deer Visitor Center, Big Pine Key--Walk on Winn Dixie 7-9 pm
February 7: Key West Wildlife Center, 1801 White Street, Key West, Family Fun Fundraiser, 1-4 pm
February 9: Florida Keys Community College, College Road, Stock Island-- "Manuscript Makeover/What Not to Dare"-5:30
February 11: Key West Public Library, 700 Fleming St., "Evolution of a Novel/Survival of the Determined"

March 2: Books &Books, 265 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables, Florida, 7pm Program TBA

Okay, I get it. You'd love to be in the Keys or Coral Gables this time of year. But, no way. No problem. If you want to learn more about Island Sting you can find me in lots of places on the web.

Let the fun begin!
Order Island Sting from the publisher http://leapbks.com/, Amazon.com; Barnes & Noble.com, or your local bookstore.

Greening it up in Florida with Books & Books Indie, Greg Mortenson, and S. Terrell French

Just yesterday I returned from Florida where green is definitely the prevailing color and conservation is literally a hot topic. (I photographed this white heron beside Clyde Butcher's Gallery in the heart of the Everglades.)

In Coral Gables, Florida, I visited one of the most outstanding independent bookstores in the country, Books & Books . While in town, I was inspired by guest speaker Greg Mortenson (Three Cups of Tea, Listen to the Wind, Stones into Schools), whose visit to Miami was sponsered by the store. All this literary saturation reminded me that I have not spent much blogging time on my primary passion, children's literature.

So today, I present to you S. Terrell French, fabulous author of an exciting eco-adventure. Her book, Operation Redwood, has made it from her west coast home to bookstore shelves everywhere. I was thrilled to see it featured face out on the shelf of Books & Books, a store about as far away from her California home as one can travel and still be in the continental United States.

Welcome Susannah! Tell us some of the most interesting things you learned about redwoods while researching Operation Redwood.

My pleasure. Redwood trees not only are among the longest-living trees on the planet, they've also been around a very long time. A species very similar to the modern redwood was widespread during the Jurassic period! Redwoods also create their own weather; in the summer, they essentially suck fog out of the air and into the redwood ecosystem.

• Amazing! Many children spend very little time interacting with nature in any form. How important do you think it is for children to explore the outdoors?

I think kids gain a lot by spending time away from man-made spaces, where they can see the natural world and experience a sense of freedom in their play. At the same time, it can be hard for urban and even suburban parents to find these opportunities for their kids. I struggle with that myself raising a family in San Francisco, though we're fortunate to have lots of fairly wild spaces nearby. But even weekend camping, summer camp, and day trips do, I think, leave a lasting impression on kids.

• What do you think people would take away from a visit to the Redwood Forest National Park and Muir Woods? Do you think they might be changed by the experience?

Redwoods give you a sense of a time scale entirely different from the human time scale. Redwoods can live more than 2,000 years, so some of the trees in an old-growth forest were ancient even before the first Europeans arrived in California. Redwood forests are also wonderfully quiet and beautiful; they invite contemplation.

• I know you enjoy visiting schools. Have you been surprised by any of your school experiences?

Most kids in the San Francisco Bay Area have been to redwood forests with their family or on school trips. They are really quite knowledgeable and many have even kissed a banana slug (which, for some reason, is a popular redwood activity out here!). Everywhere I go, the kids are so attentive and polite and I'm always impressed by how much they love to read.

• Is Operation Redwood the first and last title considered for your book?

It was always my title. My publisher considered changing it, but couldn't come up with anything they liked better.

• You're better at titles than I! My books have gone through many title changes. Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about Operation Redwood?

It's a good book for kids who might be intrigued by living in a tree house!

And now, since Julian from Operation Redwood has appeared, I'd like to ask him a few questions.

Julian, I understand that your uncle planned to cut down the redwoods. Where did you get the courage to defy your uncle?

Well, I never really set out to defy my Uncle Sibley. But in the end, I couldn't let Robin down. And pretty much anything we would do to try to save Big Tree Grove was going to make him angry. Unless Sibley just changed his mind about the logging. Which it didn't seem like he was going to do.

• How do you feel when you’re in a redwood forest?

I like being there at night -- looking up at the stars. And during the day, it's quiet. And beautiful. It's not at all like San Francisco with concrete and buildings everywhere.

• Julian, why was it important for you to save these trees in particular?

Robin's redwoods are special because nobody else is around. You're in the middle of nowhere, without tourists or fences or snack bars. You realize Big Tree Grove has probably been the same for thousands and thousands of years.

• What advice would you give to other kids who want to protect the environment?

That's hard. There's all the usual stuff they teach you in school -- ride your bike, recycle, turn out the lights. If somebody can make a lot of money by cutting down a forest or filling up a wild space with roads or buildings, the only people who are going to do something about it are the people who really care about that place.

• Do you think you have anything in common with S. Terrell French's own children?

We all grew up in San Francisco. We like to go to Green Apple Books and the Toy Boat Dessert Cafe.

• What would you like us to know about S. Terrell French?

She put together a cool website http://www.operationredwood.com/ ; You can get a link to a real canopy scientist climbing the world' tallest tree, Hyperion.

Julian, thanks for taking a break from school to answer these questions. And Susannah, I appreciate your allowing me to interrupt your tight schedule also.

Thanks for this opportunity, Bonnie, and I hope we meet on an eco panel some day!

I hope you enjoyed meeting S. Terrell French as much as I did. Remember, for a young reader's holiday gift list : Operation Redwood.

One more book I highly recommend for a holiday gift is brand-spanking new from the amazing Jean Craighead George: Pocket Guide to the Outdoors: Based on My Side of the Mountain.

And if you wish to give to the cause of peace and literacy this holiday season, please consider Pennies for Peace, an international service-learning program, inspired by Greg Mortensen and energized by school children.

Happy reading and the best of holidays to you and your loved ones.

Orange to Green Decor- Seasonal Sense

As I watched the progress of hurricane Ida in the Gulf of Mexico, it was difficult to believe it was the middle of November. My mandevilla vine is still blooming on the lamp post, the hanging baskets and potted begonias blaze with pink, red, and white blossoms. But when the remnants of Ida arrived at our cabin in North Carolina 48 hours ago, bringing chilly winds and over six inches of rain, the remaining leaves abandoned our trees in frantic swarms and the flowers ducked their heads in fear. We built daily fires and finally accepted the date on our calendar. Jack-o-lanterns--gone. Ghosts and witches--packed. Turkey and pilgrims--out of storage. While shoppers are already assaulted by the Ho Ho Ho of the next holiday.

I’ve accepted the nasty weather heralding the change, but poor Mr. GP. The constant pounding of rain reactivated his PTSD. To ease him out of the memory of being slam-dunked in the raging creek, I bundled him up and walked him with my dog, Itchy, on the soggy, but safe and soft forest path. At first Itchy's sniffing and leg lifting unnerved Mr. GP who kept retreating to the safety of rocks and crevices, but as I began to comment on which evergreen trees might one day serve as Christmas trees, Mr. GP slid into a comfortable gardening discussion. And so began the distraction of holiday planning .

I often brag about NC Christmas trees. NC Fraser Firs are the most beautiful I’ve ever had in my home. In fact, North Carolina has provided The White House with a Fraser Christmas tree eleven times. More than any other state. But I was saddened to read in the December 2009 O magazine that 5.8 pounds of pesticides are sprayed on an acre of Christmas trees each year in our state. But perhaps you can find an organically grown tree near you by searching http://www.greenpromise.com/resources/organic-christmas-trees.php.

Organic or not, there are still reasons a live tree is a better decision than an artificial one (beyond the obvious joy of the festive scent). As reported by Nina Shen Rastogi in O magazine:

• A typical artificial plastic tree contains 7.3 pounds of PVC. According to Green Living Tips the production of PVC produces dioxin, a poison that stays in the body, substances called phthalates are added to PVC that may cause cancer, kidney and reproductive system damage.

• It takes 20 years of reuse before an artificial tree has a lower carbon footprint than a real tree.

• Enjoying homegrown trees may cut down on the artificial tree imported to the U. S. (Over 8.9 million in 2008.)

• Your natural tree can be recycled for compost and wood chips. Or even used as fish habitat in lakes and ponds. Visit earth911.com to find a tree recycling center near you.

If you celebrate the December holiday season with a tree of any kind, switch from incandescent tree lights to longer-lasting LEDs and you use close to 90 percent less energy. Nearly 600,000 U. S. homes could be powered for a year with the energy decorative lights use every holiday season. A simple switch could make a difference. Until the end of February, 2010 see how you can recycle your old holiday lights at holidayleds.com.

A growing trend that provides the best green for your bucks is a kind of rent-a-tree program. If you're fortunate, you can enjoy a holiday tree and then allow it to continue caring for the Earth by absorbing 1 ton of carbon over 60 years. Here's how to learn more: In Portland, OR visit livingchristmastrees.org a site that can also send you to living tree providers in other locations, in San Diego, adoptachristmastree.com, and in San Francisco, sfenvironment.org/greenchristmas. What could be greener than a gift for Mother Earth?

A Green and Orange Halloween

I’d planned this month's main blog to focus on autumn harvest, but my green teen friends, Jenna and Jessica, and Mr. GP convinced me otherwise. Mr. GP enjoyed dressing up as Mr. Potato Head so much, he became excited when his teen friends offered to make him a Halloween costume and refused to discuss the harvest until next month. To placate the gardener in me, the girls designed a pumpkin/tuxedo costume. Both Mr. GP and I were blown away by their work. The best thing about his dapper costume is that it hides the perpetual scowl he wears as a sign of his anger over the state of our planet. For a few days, at least, he has been enjoying happier thoughts.

Mr. GP's costume, like those other green revelers created this year, is made of natural fibers and totally biodegradable. There are many ideas for eco-oriented costumes like Captain Recycle, Baby Bin, and other recycle characters I found at:

http://www.oureverydayearth.com/2009/10/07/top-10-green-halloween-costumes/ and

_halloween_costumes_ideas_mother_nature_would_apprecia_

3http://inventorspot.com/articles/7_easy_diy3644

For a more green than orange holiday, this year party hosts are using recyclable and biodegradable decorations--holiday decor they can add to the compost bin when the party’s over--like cardboard and paper cutouts or cotton-ball ghosts. As always, the trusty jack-o-lantern makes rich compost, perhaps offering a surprise next year: home-grown pumpkins.

Many hosts create or purchase decorations to last year after year. This is a super way to reduce the waste stream. Another way is to choose pumpkins, gourds, scarecrows, fall leaves and other decorations to carry decor through Thanksgiving.

To eliminate purchasing over-packaged snacks creating party trash depicted by the costumes at the left, green hostesses make their own party food and serve one drink for all guests--apple cider. Cider can be jazzed up or toned down to meet the taste needs of guests no matter their age.

To include guests (whom you've invited with paperless invitations, of course) in the fun, ask them to bring eco-friendly, homemade decorations. Enjoy the surprise creativity and camaraderie as your home is decorated for you. Then hold a contest for the most original use of recyclables, best eco-message with a Halloween theme, most likely to enrich the compost bin, and other such categories. Don't forget to make all prizes more green than orange.

Mr. GP reminds us, when trick-or-treating, as always, "Take no more than you need and leave no litter on the ground." It doesn't matter how it got there, he says, "Pick it up." After all, where would he be if I'd left him where I saw him just because I hadn't been the one to toss him away?

Green Teens' work ignored?

I wasn't ready to post another blog, but when I read this letter in the Key West newspaper, The Citizen, on October 14th I had to share. This news should be headlined, along with other positive environmental news in the Keys such as rescuing wildlife, protecting lobster traps, and releasing rehabilitated sea turtles.

Let's applaud, let's support, let's encourage a new generation of environmentalists. Let's not ignore them. Here is a teen who... Well, read his letter to the editor for yourself.

I'm doing what little I can to get the word out, Heindreck.

Nobody wants to print a positive news story

I am a student currently enrolled in Key West High School's alternative energies program. We recently got a grant to build two wind turbines on campus, which I have started a student movement to name after comedian Stephen Colbert in an attempt to draw attention to our program. We will be the first public high school campus in the country to have wind turbines.


I wish I could say that is the point of my letter; sadly it is not. This past Friday, I spent my entire lunch period collecting signatures for my "student interest form." I ended up getting over half the student body and more than half of the staff. This is despite the problems I have encountered with everybody in the media.


In order to help publicize this event I talked to the teacher in charge of The Snapper, who promised me it would be in the paper. I submitted two tips to The Citizen about our program before that.


It never got in either paper. After the school newspaper came out without my promised article, I submitted yet another news tip to this newspaper and yet again got no reply of any kind. I practically wrote the article for them.


I'm not sure that this should surprise me. After all, an enterprising young high school student trying to gain national attention to his school has nothing to do with sex, drugs, death, a scandal, or "anybody who disagrees with Obama is a racist." No, my story is simply one of those feel-good stories that might catch somebody's interest and make them feel good at the same time. Sorry if this bored you; perhaps I should just let you get back to your depressive stories.


Heindrek Allen

Cudjoe Key

And the Cover Is.... Ta Da!

There are some amazingly insightful marketers out there. Twenty three BonnieBlogsGreen readers agreed with the design and marketing departments at Leap Books. You may have already known which one was chosen if you perused this blog or my website: http://www.bonniedoerrbooks.com/.

Most readers agreed with Leap Books. These comments were pulled from emails that don't show up in the comment section below the Five Covers, One Book, You Pick post. You know who you are.

• Black against yellow is the most contrast you can get.


• I like the understated type.


• It seems to visually communicate more than the others.


• It would draw me to pick it from a shelf filled with hundreds of other books.


• The bullet holes in what looks like a road sign and the skid marks ...convey a sense of mystery and danger, with shooting definitely involved. The cover promises to put the reader in the middle of the action.


• It is the one that stays in my mind long after I leave your blog.


• I like the close up of the caution sign.


• It pulls me right into the suspense.


• It is the most graphic of the pitch.


• [It is the] most eye-catching and evocative of the pitch.

• The entire decision process was shared by one reader (paraphrasing here) who reasoned that the style of two covers resembled a vanity press, one was of a pretty scene, but didn't tell anything about the story, one looked like an adult mystery or romance instead of being geared for youth, leaving the favorite, which was eye-catching, clever, understated and would make one want to know what was inside.

Oh, gadzooks, I almost forgot. You want to know the count for the other covers. Sixteen people preferred number four and twelve people preferred number five.

And me? I'm super lucky. I agreed with Leap Books, too.

PS To the caffein-starved reader out there: I know it's difficult to tell in a small image, but no, those are not coffee beans on the cover.

Coming soon, Mr GP returns to the fall garden.