Good morning friends. I use a high efficiency washing machine. I choose my laundry detergent carefully and I dry our organic sheets on the line in the sunshine.
But, today I had to get the sheets out on the line early, because we have an air quality alert starting here this afternoon (again), due to wildfires in Canada. My “green” laundry detergent comes in a plastic jug.* And my organic sheets are made of cotton, a fiber that has a pedigree of colonialism and environmental degradation.
As a person who lives with a degree of privilege and comfort, I’m able to think about and make choices in my daily life. Sometimes there are multiple bottom lines to consider…is it local? It is produced and sold fairly? Is it sustainable/renewable? And truth be told, even the choices I/we make to do less harm in our everyday lives are a drop in the bigger bucket of living in this Anthropocene.
My friend Anne linked to this article by Mark Bittman in her latest newsletter (it’s one of my favorite things to find in my inbox.) After the week we’ve had here in Vermont, his words resonate in a very big way.
So here’s the question I’m sitting in the middle of. Perhaps you are too.
Given the realities of everything we are living through right now, how do we keep our heads above the waters of overwhelm?
There are lots of folks asking this same question. The answers I’ve been finding are helping me build a stronger sense of community, of kindredness, of hope and sometimes the answers are right under my very own nose.
We have two rows of day lilies…one in front of a retaining wall, where we can see them as we wash dishes at the kitchen sink, and one out by the garage.
More later this week…
*Have you tried making your own laundry detergent? Please share in the comments!