saving the world... one flush at a time...

yes, I’m back to the potty. but, placate me for a moment and think about how much water your toilet uses. older toilets can use 3 to 7 gallons of water for each flush and can account for up to 50 percent of indoor water use. and, if you toss in the number of goldfish burials you’ve performed since having kids, reducing the amount of water that goes down the pipe makes sense.

while low-flush toilets are great (they only use about 1.6 gallons of water per flush and save 8,000 or more gallons of water per household per year), they can be pricey.

sooooo... if you're not in the market for a new latrine and the policy of "if it's yellow, let it mellow. if it's brown, flush it down" makes you weak in the knees (and, no, that policy is NOT in effect when we have company!), economic alternatives include toilet dams, water-filled containers or a 1.6-gallon flapper.

toilet dams help make your tank “smaller” by using plastic barriers to prevent water from running out when you flush, while filling small, plastic containers with water and putting them in the tank will keep the water level high enough to flush well, but reduces the amount of water that actually flushes. the low-flow flappers simply shut more quickly, thereby reducing the amount of water in the tank. these devices displace water and can reduce outflow by up to 25 percent. any of these provide a low-cost, eco-effective way to deal with... well... you know...

happy flushing!

can you spare a square?

no doubt, we need toilet paper (although crunchy chicken's latest challenge to move to cloth is interesting). but how much do we really need to use every time we “retire” to the latrine?

i know, this isn’t one of those pleasant topics; but, just as the title of that great children’s book says -- “everybody poops” ... and you could make a few dozen mummy movies from the amount of TP my daughter goes through in a given week (granted, i’m not all that much better... i guess it's a girl thing?).

of course, in ancient china, where TP was first introduced, each square was two-feet by three-feet... so, in comparison, i guess i'm doin' pretty ok.... regardless...

and... yes... sheryl crow got a bunch of flak when she proposed this (which is probably why i've left this idea tucked away for a while)... BUT, i’m not proposing that you get all militant about this (no need to stand outside the bathroom door and count off sheets), but -- as a family/household -- choose a realistic number of sheets to be used for various… uh… duties that everyone can live with and pledge to stick to it (no pun intended).

you'll be surprised how simple this is once you get into the habit... even better? you’ll be cutting down on the amount of paper that ends up in our sewers and save money, too!

see full image here

i know this is rather off-topic, but i stumbled across this image the other day… and it's just stayed with me… and made me think of so many things…

… about when i was young, playing in my backyard (when i was still allowed to play in the mud!) and all the wonders i discovered, like watching a tadpole turn into a frog…

… about when i was scared or nervous and my first reaction would be to stare down at my hands in shame or embarrassment… and how i still do that, even though i wish i wouldn't…

…about when clare was a newborn… how, when i held her, her hands seemed so tiny, with paper-thin fingernails that looked so delicate, but would scratch her up if i didn't stay on top of the scary nail clipping that i hated to do for fear of hurting her…

… about how those little hands that used to desperately cling to mine are growing… and starting to let go to so she can discover her own path… about how much that scares me, but – more so – about how proud i am of her…

…of my grandfather… and how gigantic and safe his hands seemed when i was little.. and how, in the last few months of his life, when i didn't think the doctors could possibly stick any more needles into that fragile skin… how he still smiled… brave and wonderful… always…

… about my hubby… whose hands shield me, protect me and comfort me… when he takes my hand, no one can hurt me… and i love him for it…

… of my dear friend sylvia… whose hand i miss holding and can't wait to again…

… about all the blessed creatures i've been so lucky to have in my life… furry (and some not much) companions who, simply by petting or holding or talking to, have made my life happier…

…about the beautiful peace i find when i meditate… my hands folded in my lap… and how the world just makes a lot more sense… i need to do that more often…

…about my own hands… stronger than i ever thought they'd be… but now the signs of aging are increasing, almost imperceptibly, year by year… and about how i'm accepting and trying to embrace the rigors and infinite delicacy of life… as well as my mortality…

… about how hands can communicate a million different things with a simple gesture… honor, disrespect, love, hate, pride, shame… it's all there… you just have to pay attention...

…about how different we all are… yet how very much alike… we all want a hand to hold, a hand to comfort, a hand to help us realize our full potential…a hand to reach out to us…

who have you reached out to lately?

hanky panky

it happens all the time (especially now that the school year has started!). our darling, little germ sponges drag some nasty cold home from school, and tissues start flying around faster than throwing death stars in a martial arts b-movie. after you dig yourself out from underneath the pile of used snot holders, take a cue from our forefathers and invest in cloth hankies for the whole family. not only will this keep oodles of tissue paper out of the cycle, but -- believe it or not -- cloth is much softer on raw, little noses.

but, if the possibility of little jenny using a hankie formerly employed by little michael (even if washed... cooties, you know) creates too much of an “ew” factor, i suggest personalizing each family member’s respective snot rag. and this is where they can get into the act, as most craft stores carry cloth pens and such, so let everyone go to town to create their own unique pieces of art!

gezhundheit!

turn-(off) signals

i know... i've been slacking the last few weeks... sorry, but between a work jaunt to china, still working my way through my irritation with earthpak and the oppressive heat in so cal last week, the motivation just wasn't there...

anyhoo... i digress...

i know water conservation isn’t top-of-mind first thing in the morning. it easily falls by the wayside in favor of packing lunches, getting ready for the workday, trying to motivate seriously sleepy children to get the heck out of bed and finding that school notice (that was dated two weeks ago) that you’re in charge of baking six dozen cookies by the next day (don’t you just love that? ahem.) but what I do love is the idea of putting little signs up in the bathroom to remind everyone to turn off the faucet while brushing teeth and shaving.

it may seem like a little thing, but if you consider that 5 percent (can be more than 2,500 gallons per year, according to the epa) of a home’s water consumption goes from the bathroom faucet -- at a rate of up to five gallons a minute -- and pretty much heads straight to the sewer, a quick shut-off makes good double-eco (economic and eco-effective) sense!

so back to the signs: while a post-it is fine, i’ve found that -- after a few weeks (who am I kidding? days!) -- i tend to glaze over them and i just, plain forget. here’s where your kids and their wild creativity come in! once a month (or every other month) have the kids make new signs for the bathroom mirror. encourage humor, as you know if they’re cracking themselves up every time they brush their teeth, it means they’re actually seeing the sign!

another easy way to save water while is to half-fill a cup with water and use it for rinsing. now, before you gross out at the notion of one cup for all, the idea is that everyone in the house has their own cup. even better, each family member can decorate their own! go fancy and hit your local color me mine, or keep it low-key and grab some durable cups and paint pens at the nearest arts/crafts store. this might sound simple but that’s what this is all about -- simplicity!

last, my husband, the shaver in the family (at least until I hit menopause), borrowed a nifty idea from “m*a*s*h.” (and who said tv wasn’t educational?). he has a specially designated cup for rinsing his razor so he hardly turns the sink faucet on at all. too bad the logistics for that method when shaving my legs aren’t all that appealing. my balance is good, but not that good.