Green Chit Chat

A big thank you so much to the three of you who have already signed up for this year's Clothesline Challenge!

Robin from Simple.Green.Organic.Happy, my very forgiving penpal from Australia, and Willo from Green Gracious jumped right on board within hours of my posting.  And the official challenge doesn't even start until May 1st!

This year I promise not to be as lazy and offer some more green giveaways.  I'm teaming up with a blogger-soon-to-be-revealed who is quite fabric-crafty and who will no doubt have some clothesline-related doo-dads up her sleeve(s). 

As we get closer to spring, I always like to peruse the latest edition of Kids Garden News from kidsgardening.org.  Two items stood out:

If you are in the Grand Rapids/East Lansing area of the country, the 19th Annual Children & Youth Gardening Symposium will be held there towards the end of July.  Many moons ago Green Husband presented at this conference and I tagged along.  If they are offering garden tours this year, be sure to take advantage of this very inspiring opportunity.

Are you a teacher?  In the mood for a lot of slaw?  Know a third grade class who would like to raise some cabbages?  Then check out Bonnie Plants 3rd Grade Cabbage Program.  I mean, really, is there anything more that can be said about this...?

And finally I leave you with a fitting and timely excerpt from a poem by Jane Kenyon, one of my favorite poets.

The shadow of smoke rising from the chimney
moves abruptly over the yard.
The clothesline rises in the wind. One
wooden pin is left, solitary as a finger;
it, too, rises and falls.

from "Bright Sun after Heavy Snow" by Jane Kenyon, from The Boat of Quiet Hours. © Graywolf Press, 1986.

Great Green Gardening Goes Ga-Ga in Toddler Trainers!

Have I mentioned I love alliteration?

Okay, now here is a fun little project that takes no time at all (or no time at all for your husband - I'm the IDEA-man, he's the EXECUTION-man. Without him, I'm worthless. But I digress).

We took some old shoes that don't fit my little Wanna-Greenies anymore, slapped in some soil from our (my husband's) compost heap, planted some green bean seeds, and no kidding, it must be the traces of organic sweat still lingering from my children's feet, this bad boy popped up in two days:

Green Grants a Go-Go [For Kids!]

I always loved when Paul Maclean in A River Runs Through It quips the headline "Cool Cal Communes with the Croppies!" So I'm working on my headline alliteration. I can't seem to come up with a "G" word for kids...

But I digress.

Several green-related grant opportunities have been making the rounds.



The first is "The Healthy Sprouts Award" sponsored by the National Gardening Association and Gardener's Supply as part of their mission to recognize health-focused youth gardens.

"To be eligible for the 2007 Healthy Sprouts Awards, your school or organization must plan to garden in 2008 with at least 15 children between the ages of 3 and 18. The selection of winners is based on the demonstrated relationship between the garden program and nutrition and hunger issues in the United States."

Applications are due by October 15th and awards will be granted in January of 2008.

The second green grant is sponsored by the American Academy of Dermatology, of all things: "The American Academy of Dermatology’s (Academy) Shade Structure Program are grant awards ($8,000 each) for the purchase of permanent shade structures designed to provide shade and ultraviolet (UV) ray protection for outdoor areas. The Academy also provides a permanent sign to be displayed near the shade structure promoting the importance of sun safety. The Academy receives support for this program from Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company.

The deadline for grant applications is Wednesday, March 5, 2008.

The Shade Structure Program is open to non-profit organizations or educational institutions that serve children and teenagers, ages 18 and younger.

Who knows...you may have it made in the shade!