inspiration

The good Earth

Suzy Taylor Oakley environment, food, inspiration, nature, reaching out, volunteering

The Certified Arkansas Farmers Market (Sixth & Main streets in North Little Rock’s Argenta neighboorhood) opened yesterday for the 2009 season. I really hated to miss it, but Bruce and I went to Batesville for the annual Scottish festival at Lyon College (more on that later). But I’m so excited that it’s finally open! Saturday, April 25, is Basket-A-Month pickup day, so I can’t wait for the fresh eggs, milk, cheese, pasta, STRAWBERRIES and other goodies that will be in the basket. Maybe I’ll make strawberry cake or muffins next weekend!

Come on down Saturday for fresh, Arkansas-grown produce, dairy, beefalo, honey, homemade pasta and much more. Support your local farmer. Maybe you’ll see us there. Bruce and I will be volunteering during the basket pickup.

After that, walk down to Riverfront Park for the Arkansas Earth Day Festival. The festival is on the North Little Rock side of the river between the Main Street and Broadway bridges. Maybe you’ll see me there. I’ll be volunteering at the Basket-A-Month booth.

The festival is on the 25th, although Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22. Poke around the official Earth Day site and find out little ways you can make a difference. Support your local planet.

Worship Fully. Spend Less. Give More. Love All.

Suzy Taylor Oakley family, frugal living, God, holiday, inspiration, reaching out

I’ve been behind on reading my favorite blogs these past few months. I wish I had run across this video that Alison posted a couple of weeks before Christmas, but its message is relevant any time of year.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1]

After you watch it, visit Advent Conspiracy and get inspired.

Happy New Year (and happy anniversary to my sweetie and me – 11 years today!).

Merry Christmas

Suzy Taylor Oakley dogs, family, God, holiday, inspiration

mom-tree-closeup-122408_small2

Merry Christmas, world!

I’m sitting at my mom’s back window, looking out at the beautiful, crisp, clear morning. The sky is blue, the trees are green and there’s still frost on the ground. It’s a beautiful winter morning.

Last night I got sleepy at 8:15, and Mom said I couldn’t go to bed yet (she’s mean). She said if I stayed up with her, she’d get up early with me. I told her there was no need for that because I love having the quiet morning to myself before everyone (except Salsa) gets up. I take the girls outside for their morning potty break, lift Pepper back onto the bed (where she crawls under the covers with Bruce), and then come back in and savor my cup of coffee, all before the sun comes up. (Mom finally let me go to bed last night at 9:45, when she saw me lying on the floor half-asleep). This morning, Salsa and I did a quieter-than-usual version of our morning wrestling match. We played tug of war with a toy — no running around like fools before everyone gets up.

Routines are different here at Mom’s. She doesn’t have a fence, so we can’t let the girls go outside and potty by themselves. We have to leash them and walk them until they decide to do their business. It’s usually pretty quick with Salsa — when she needs to go, she goes. With Pepper, we have to let her walk around a little, then turn her circles and find the exact right spot — all the while saying, “Go potty … go potty … go potty.” It’s not as fun when it’s cold outside.

So, while I wait for my family to get up (my brother’s house is within hollerin’ distance, and I can see from Mom’s window that they’re still not stirring), Salsa and I will go sit and watch the Star Trek: The Next Generation marathon. (Oh, and someone may have already cut into the chocolate pie for breakfast, but I’m not saying.)

Yes, this Christmas is much more relaxed and wonderful than last, even if last year, in my somewhat-depressed state, I still tried to remember the reason we have Christmas in the first place.

Please, as you go about your day, remember the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who was born simply to die for us and give us a better way to live.

I love you, Jesus.

Christmas cheer-up

Suzy Taylor Oakley God, inspiration, work

What a difference a year makes.

Last year at this time I was in full self-pity mode. I had a job I hated (after less than a month there), Bruce was sick (he spent seven days in the hospital a week before Christmas), we were broke and a friend died on Christmas Day. I had started gaining weight from the stress, mostly from the job. (In the 11 months I worked at that place, I gained 25 pounds. Just from emotional eating.)

I hadn’t put up our big Christmas tree in a couple of years – didn’t put one up at all last year, even the little one. Bruce and I didn’t buy any Christmas gifts last year, either. Yes, this chick had one very blue, blue blue blue Christmas.

Even the truths I knew about God were truths in my head but not necessarily in my heart. He promised never to leave or forsake me, but I sure felt forsaken.

That was last year. I can’t say the pity party is completely over (we still have a lot of the same problems we had a year ago – some even worse), but God has led me through the darkest part (at least I hope so!).

I have dragged out the Christmas decorations (yes, it does seem worth it) and have even put up the big tree. I went to Hobby Lobby this evening to buy a couple of extra strands of blinking lights (with some of my birthday money), and as I left the store a cool wind blew across me. But instead of thinking, “Brrr, it’s cold!” I said to myself, “What an invigorating breeze!”

I used to loathe cold weather, but I have grown to appreciate it. Tonight, after what could have been a frustrating day (because a utility crew accidentally cut a cable, my office lost its Internet connection, rendering me nearly helpless to do most of the account processing I usually take care of each day), I was actually thankful for my job. That, in turn, helped me enjoy the chilly wind and the crystal-clear evening.

Nearly every day I tell God how grateful I am for the job (sometimes I forget – I take it for granted, just like I always will). I could enumerate all the reasons, but that’s for another post. Let me just say again, as I have said a couple of times here, that it is an AWESOME company to work for.

It’s amazing how one little change can be such a big deal. Working at the hell hole I came from, I thought I would always have a job I hated, whether it’s because I deserved to, because I’m just a whiner who’s never satisfied or (and this is what I really thought) that most people have jobs they hate. No one can really love his job. You hear people talking about loving their jobs, but you think they’re crazy (or lying), right?

But now I get it, because … I LOVE MY JOB!

And it makes all the difference in the world. Yes, we’re broker than broke, Bruce is still sick (oh, yeah, and I was diagnosed with a heart problem a few weeks ago), and we still have to sell our house. But my life is pretty good. Bruce asked me today how I was doing, and I replied, “Fantastic!” before I could think. He was surprised. He hasn’t heard me say anything that positive in a long time.

I’ve even lost 13 pounds (and counting) since leaving the other job.

What else is good? I’ve had so much extra time, I’ve started baking again. Can it get any better than that?

And tonight, with the beautiful early evening sky, the tiny sliver of moon and the celestial conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, paired with the invigorating breeze, I felt lighter than air.

What a difference a year makes.

Bravo, Harding University

Suzy Taylor Oakley environment, inspiration

As the editor of three weekly newspapers, I get dozens of news releases a week. Most of them are via e-mail (thank God), but, even though those don’t waste paper (or kill trees, as I refer to it), sometimes I just hate sorting through the backlog in my inbox. And, to be honest, I delete some of them after a quick skim.

This one was a wonderful exception. Because Harding University is in Searcy and outside our circulation area, I knew we wouldn’t run it in any of my papers, but I asked the university’s PR person for permission to reprint it in full here. She wholeheartedly agreed.

September 18, 2008

Go Green initiative progressing at Harding University

SEARCY, Ark. – Green is the new black and gold for Harding University. On April 22, Earth Day, the University announced an initiative to “Go Green.” Environmental efforts have made such rapid strides that every day is now an earth-friendly day on campus.

To formally oversee these efforts, the University formed an environmental stewardship committee, which is chaired by Dr. Jim Carr, executive vice president of the University. Students, faculty and staff can contact this committee with questions, requests and ideas by e-mailing gogreen@harding.edu.

Carr stated, “I am personally very excited to chair this effort at Harding. We are going to do our best as a committee to mobilize the entire University community to be good stewards of our limited resources and to preserve the terrific environment we have been given on our campus, in Arkansas and in our beautiful country. Our progress in just six months has been nothing short of remarkable. We have already recycled thousands of pounds of paper, aluminum and plastic and have made plans to plant hundreds of new hardwood and pine seedlings in our area.”

According to Greg Tatera, committee member and director of Facility Services, a high level of excitement is also evident among students on campus. He said, “It’s been a long time coming. There’s been a lot of momentum building behind this, and we’ve seen huge strides for the program.”

In an effort to promote conservation, the University cafeteria no longer offers trays. Food Service Director Judy Hart reported that this simple action saves nearly 600 gallons of heated water per meal period, reduces food waste by 20 percent per consumer, and helps prevent cleaning agents from polluting the water supply. The University saves more than $83 per week on water, electricity, sewage and chemicals.

Additional environmentally friendly initiatives abound on campus. Danny DeRamus, director of Physical Resources and environmental stewardship committee member, said that since installation of programmable thermostats, “The price of usage has stayed the same, even with the addition of buildings over the last several years.”

New or recently renovated buildings such as the Ulrey Performing Arts Center and Center for Health Sciences are fitted with thermostats that can only be shifted two or three degrees at a time. This saves energy costs by decreasing the workload for air conditioning and heating units and has also cut down on the number of maintenance calls. Furthermore, the new Center for Health Sciences is the first building on campus to reap energy benefits from a motion detector-based lighting system.

Since its recent inception, the recycling program has expanded from three trial containers to more than 200 bins across campus. Paper recycling is available in nearly every office, and the University will soon collect used ink cartridges and cell phones, old batteries, and discarded CDs and DVDs.

An upsurge in the number of recycled goods picked up from campus illustrates eager participation in the new program. The University has recycled 2,417 bags, or 49,000 pounds, of materials since May 15.

Tatera is encouraged by the success of the recycling program, but he further hopes that this new emphasis on environmental stewardship will reach beyond recycling. He said that students and faculty must learn to rethink usage as well. Perhaps professors can offer more information online instead of copying handouts. Social clubs and campus organizations should ask themselves whether it is necessary to print 200 fliers to spread the word about an event.

Tatera sees environmental stewardship as a mandate. “We have to be good stewards with what the Lord has given us,” he said. “This is what we can do. This is what we have to do.”

-HU-

This kind of stuff makes me want to stand up and cheer!

Go green. Go, Harding!

Give

Suzy Taylor Oakley inspiration, reaching out, volunteering

Jimmy Pritchett, the homeless coordinator for the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock, wore this shirt Saturday at the Homeless Outreach Event, which he co-chaired.

Pretty much sums it up for me.

I believe I’m required to let you know that this photo is technically the property of Central Arkansas Newspapers. I took it on my own but later decided to write a story for the papers I edit, so, because we used it in two of the three papers I’m responsible for, my employer now owns the rights to the picture.

think. pray. live.

Suzy Taylor Oakley friends, inspiration

I’m always stealing links from Sarabeth’s blog (this is the second time this week) but she finds some really good ones, so I don’t think she minds. This one is from Quinn Cummings (who is also listed under “Blogs I visit” at right — you’ll have to scroll). I read Quinn because she’s hilarious, but this one is more thoughtful. I hope it makes you pause, too — especially as we stop to remember what happened seven years ago today.