I haven’t posted for a while because I’ve been so overwhelmed by the start of my new job - I’ve been fried by the time the evening comes and have only wanted to put my feet up and stare at the ceiling. Now that life is settling down a bit, I’m getting back into doing things I used to do, blogging included. Tonight I ran across a new podcast I just had to recommend - it inspired me to get back on the blogging saddle.

I subscribe to several NPR podcasts, and especially like All Songs Considered because it exposes me to artists I might not listen to otherwise. They have added (I’m not sure when) Live Concerts from All Songs Considered, which I just added to my iTunes subscriptions. This podcast includes “entire concerts from artists like Blitzen Trapper, Dan Deacon, The Decemberists, Radiohead, Tom Waits, Fleet Foxes, Neko Case. Some concerts include interviews with the bands.” Some have video and some are just audio. Their latest installment is Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the artists who did the fantastic soundtrack for the movie “Once.”

If you like music, check it out! It’s definitely worth a listen. What’s your favorite podcast?

TED.com is my latest favorite source for inspiration. Today, when I read the latest On a + Note, I discovered another great TED video, this time from Aimee Mullins. Here’s the video blurb:

Athlete, actor and activist Aimee Mullins talks about her prosthetic legs — she’s got a dozen amazing pairs — and the superpowers they grant her: speed, beauty, an extra 6 inches of height … Quite simply, she redefines what the body can be.

What moved me most was her closing statement:

I think that if we want to discover the full potential in our humanity, we need to celebrate those heartbreaking strengths and those glorious disabilities that we all have… It is our humanity and all the potential within it that makes us beautiful.

What a new and beautiful world we would have with that view. It’s one that I will strive to celebrate, and I hope others will, too. Take a look at the video:

Check out Common Craft’s video providing “a simple explanation of the benefits (and risks) of using CFL lightbulbs.” Changing the kinds of bulbs you use is an easy thing to do that will make a big impact overall. Consider making a change today!

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I’m a bit of a gadget addict and have just a few I can’t live without: my iPod, cell phone, and Palm PDA. Yesterday I had the fun of getting rid of two and replacing them with one, which is great since I’ll have one less gadget to haul around with me.

While I would love to have an iPhone, I really didn’t want to have to change carriers in order to get one. So I bought a Palm Treo Pro to replace my old Samsung cell phone and Palm PDA. And I love it!

The Treo Pro feels much like my old PDA with the advantage of a Windows-like interface. I added unlimited messaging and data to my plan, so now I can hop on the Internet to find maps, my gmail, and whatever else I need to get my hands on. It’s easy to use and so great to have all of my data on one device.

I’m still poking around and figuring it all out, but that’s part of the fun for me. I love the challenge of learning something new, and love the access I have with this gadget. Lots of fun ahead!

Love this video from Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty! Amazing what technology allows us to do and sad how it can distort our perceptions about ourselves…

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I love my son’s daycare. They have a great program, wonderful teachers, a beautiful campus, and lots of fun activities. Yesterday, as we were leaving, we noticed some curious items by the door outside with a note inviting us to decorate a cup, fill it with dirt, plant a flower seed, and take it home to watch it grow. What a fun way to celebrate Earth Day!

It was a fun, quick activity to do together, and then in the car on the way home we talked about what Earth Day meant and how important it is to take care of the environment. And now Joey will have the fun of watching his seed come to life.

But it occured to me after the fact that the cups they provided to plant the seeds in were styrofoam…  An Earth Day activity planted in a cup that will take 50 years to degrade… Isn’t it ironic?

Today is Earth Day, so be sure to stop and take a minute to consider your impact on the environment and start making some changes! Here are a few ideas for you to try out today:

• Go to Earth Day Network and calculate your ecological footprint.
• Subscribe to a new blog, like The Green Guide or Green Living Ideas.
• Make the earth happy by picking up garbage on your walk today.
• Use your local library - borrowing materials rather than purchasing them saves resources and money! If you like to buy your own books, recycle them by using a book reseller like Half Price Books.
• Never take another plastic bag home - use reusable bags from here on out!

There are loads of other things you can do to save the planet. Start small and go from there. Happy Earth Day!

(Photo by aussiegall)

Okay, I admit it. I’m a sugar addict. I love baked goods, M&Ms, and almost all things chocolate or carb-like. But I also know that I feel a lot better when I cut back on my sugar intake and live a healthier life. So here I go again! I’m returning to a more Mediterranean diet with more local, fresh foods, and less processed, sugary gunk.

Truth be told, I started this a few weeks ago, was off to a great start, then Easter came and tripped me up. Back in the saddle again…

I think I can, I think I can!

To encourage (or maybe scare) myself to do better, I looked up some info on the harmful effects of sugar. Check out the resources below if you need a kick in the behind, too. I also recommend The New Sugar Busters, if you’re looking for a book to check out.

• 146 reasons why sugar is ruining your health
• The harmful effects of sugar and choosing healthy alternatives
• How sugar affects our health, energy, and weight loss
• Curb sugar cravings

Wish me luck!

(Photo by Uwe Hermann)

In honor of National Poetry Month, I’d like to share a little something from my very own personal poet - my mom, Connie Krueger. This one was published in the 2004 Wisconsin Poets’ Calendar, and I’m so proud of her.

Charted Courses

Trees bleak and humble,
grass rigid from the night’s sting,
warm breath sighted as it hits the air,
geese, V-ed purposely southward -
winter’s prophets.

I shiver at these reminders, want
to prolong the green warmth of summer, wish
I could join the honking fliers
in their autumn exodus -
childish musings.

For I am caught, domesticated,
in days of dust and clutter,
diapers and mashed potatoes,
charted to a different course of flight -
left behind.

——————

Who is your favorite poet? Dig one of their volumes out today or take time to discover someone new!

I’m planning on being in the dark tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. Why, you ask? Because I’m taking part in a national event called Earth Hour.

The World Wildlife Fund is asking individuals, businesses, governments and organizations around the world to turn off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour - to make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solutions.

Even though Appleton, WI isn’t signed up as a participating city, I’m going to turn out my lights and watch what happens in the rest of the world. Please consider joining me by signing up today!

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