The Commissary Just Got Cooler!

When I was still researching Finland, planning my escape, before we got Spain orders, I learned that they pay a small fee for plastic bags in stores. Many people there, then, keep those bags and reuse them in other stores. I thought it was a fantastic way to cut down on waste. And I HATE having all those plastic bags in my house, but I cannot bear to throw them away! It is almost like littering now.

Not long after that, I saw that Ikea (a Swedish company) started the policy of charging for bags. Or you could by a sturdier bag that was better for more uses. I was so proud to see it in the U.S.

Around that time, in entertainment magazines, stars were seen carrying the ultra chic and super expensive bags used for shopping with these words on the front of the bag: I AM NOT A PLASTIC BAG. See? Even the cool kids were doing it!

Soon after that, Vonns started carrying lil black fabric bags to be used in place of grocery bags. They were 99 cents, and I picked up a couple everytime I went, and eventually had enough to not need those plastic bags! Even Target began carrying cute lil red bags that folded up and zippered close. They were small enough, that I began carrying them in my purse to be used in any store, so that I could avoid a plastic bag. Also, MANY stores have the policy of a small discount if you bring in your own bag!

Then I went to visit Jess in Hawaii, and being the ultra-hippie she has become since Maggie (way to go Maggie!), she had a ton of Chico bags. Fabric bags that squish up even smaller, so they are easier to carry around at all times. They run a lil higher in cost, but they are made of sturdier material.

Completely hooked on the no plastic-bag solution, I went to visit Grandma in TX. Even in the stix of TX, they had the lil black fabric bags for sale at the grocery store. I explained what they were for to Grandma, and told her that we may someday go the Nordic route of charging for plastic bags. Grandma said that she would wait until they "made" her buy the fabric bags. Can't win them all, eh?

After TX, I went to CO. I began preaching my bag politics to them. They patted me on the head, listened politely, and ignored me. Then I bought a few of the bags from the grocery store and a few from Target and actually put one in Grandma's purse. I am hoping I have planted the seed.

Mom made the good point that the plastic bags can be useful at home. And she is totally right. But inevitably, you will be somewhere without your fabric bag, or you will forget to use it, and you will bring some plastic home. This smaller amount of plastic bags, I am sure, would be all you need for things like the kitty box or trash.

Now here is the cool part! Yesterday, I saw that in the commissary here on base, we now have lil green fabric bags for sale!! I am so excited to see that the military family is jumping on the bandwagon! YAY!

Are you on the bandwagon??

BTW, here is an Post on this from another funny blog.

Playing With Pictures: Grandma

Happy Birthday Grandma!!

I hope you had a wonderful birthday!

I miss you and love you!!

Wee folk in Colorado

Grandma and Nino in their St Patty's Day finest!

Red Hat and Boulder

Today, Grandma and I went to her Red Hat meeting! I got to meet all her friends there. They were all decked out in their purple shirts and red hats. Some had feather boas and scarves and lots of jewelry. Everyone was so friendly and talkative. I had a wonderful time.

I had to wear a pink hat, because I am under 50 years-old. We went to a mexican resteraunt here in Pueblo and they had a drawing for door prizes. As a guest, they let me pick the 4 or 5 names and the last name I picked was Grandma! She won some Red Hat earings.

It was so much fun, I would go again, but their next meeting is after I leave here.

Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory:

I did not get too many pictures in Boulder. We mostly did shopping, and the Celestial Tea factory did not let us take pictures there. But click HERE for what I did get.

The inside of the tea house:

I talked to John today, and he is in the middle of the classes you have to take when you go to a new country's base to learn customs, get shown around, and get your driver's license for Spain. I cannot wait to go to that class. In a couple days, John goes to Cadiz, which if you remember from your Spain Geography Lesson is right accross the bay and is a larger town than Rota.

Last day in CO

I spent my last night playing pool at the town saloon. The rest are pictures I took of everyone before I left for the airport.

I had SO much fun seeing everyone in CO! I am really glad I stayed as long as I did.

And I really miss everyone already!

31 days left!! yikes!

Click HERE to see more pictures of my last day.

Whispering Aspens Trip

We had a wonderful time at the property in the mountains, which Grandma named Whispering Aspens. We stayed 2 nights. It was relaxing and so gorgeous. You are so high up there, that you can see all around you.

The scenery is really breathtaking.

Cole went hiking with me and Grandma. He walks so well now! He hits his head on everything too. He is incapable of being careful. That is ok. It is good training for his budding hockey career.

He also hates open doors. He ran around the cabin, closing doors after him. We tried propping them open with something heavy, but he works at it and works at it, until he gets it closed.

Enigma loved the hiking too. He is a really good rock climber! He will not even try jumping onto the couch at home, but out there, he was like a mountain goat. I kept him on a leash the whole time he was outside though, because I was afraid of a large hawk or owl taking him away to eat him! He is not bigger than any of the rabbits out here.

As you can see by the pictures, he has also perfected his cheesey smile. Whenever he sees that you are taking his picture, he makes this smile now!

We also made a "horse" out of a rolling fold up bed, so Cole could "ride" it. Yes, it is dangerous, but it is so cute! Besides, Nessa is right behind him, ducked down, making sure he does not fall. We used to do this horse-out-of-roll-away-bed all the time when we were little at my Grandma Edna's house. We have tons of pictures of Nessa, me, Alicia, and Rodney on it.

Video of Cole of his horse:

Click HERE to see more pictures of Cole hiking and our time at Whispering Aspens.

One of the days, we took a trip to a nearby town called Cripple Creek. It is a gambling town with lots of casinos, but it is TINY- just a main street really. It used to be a great big mining town in the 1800's. There is a lot of history there, so that is what we went to see. Well, not Grandma; she loves to gamble. But we went to the historical museum and talked to a lady there that knew all the old, scandalous stories of the old days. Click HERE to see more pictures of Cripple Creek.

A painting from the historical museum.

Mom being naughty!

Colorado Vacation- The Holy Cross Abbey and Winery

Mom showing Cole the fish.

Yesterday, Ernie took me for a ride on the Harley! It is really the only way to see a place. Now I know why they say that they do so much riding out here as opposed to California. The scenery is so relaxing and fun. You also see so many animals: vultures, groundhogs, hawks, etc.

Today, Mom, Nessa, Cole, Grandma, and I went to the Holy Cross Winery, which is right next to an old abbey. It used to house monks, then it was a winery and Abbey, then it was an Abbey and highschool. The abbey was closed in 2005. Now it is more of a museum. Click HERE to read more about its history. It is a very beautiful building. You can tour the bottom floor and chapel.

Outside the Abbey

We also went to the winery where Nessa and I tasted wines (YES-COLORADO MADE WINES!), and we picked a yummy Syrah for Thanksgiving Dinner. The grounds of both the Abbey and winery were so pretty. It was all fall colors and well-maintained, and there were some horses between them. It was not the season to tour the actual vinyards, but we could see where the Chardonnay grapes were grown.

It is so much fun to get wines from the actual winery. You learn so much about them, and they seem more special. I also loved visiting the volcano winery in Hawaii.

Picking our wines.

Click HERE for more pictures. I took a few pictures of the Abbey windows, because it is supposed to be haunted. See if you see anything spooky.

We were also going to go to the prison museum which is still a prison, but parts of it are for touring, because it was the prison when Colorado was still a colony! But it was closed. There are a lot of prisons here.

Denver Art Museum

We had another wonderful time in Denver today. Nino and I took Grandma back to the Art Museum. She loved the peices on loan from the Louvre the most. I was Very Excited to see the show, Color as a Field, which was not going on last week when Nino and I were there. They are extremely abstract paintings (Rothko and such), so Grandma was much less interested in them.

Click HERE to read more info on that show.

Click HERE to see more pictures of our trip.

Later, when I can get the pics off my camera, there will be some of last week's visit there. The 2 shows on loan (Louvre and Color Field) did not allow photography.