IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

Everyone is trying to be GREENER these days. I'm no exception. I really want to be green. A nice Forest green would be desirable or at least a perfect, Kelly green. Instead I think I wind up being more of a weak, pastel, mint green. It's not for lack of trying, believe me.

We recycle. Palm Beach County provides us with recycling bins. One is for paper and another for cans and plastic. We've done our best to recycle every acceptable item since we moved to this county. I turn off the water when I brush my teeth. We have energy and water efficient appliances. I've become completely neurotic about turning off the lights and ceiling fans when I leave the room.

My newest effort to become a darker shade of green is to use shopping bags instead of paper or plastic. Here's the problem. I forget to bring them into the store with me. So I buy another one. Then I forget the next time and I buy another one. My trunk is filled with shopping bags. I'm pretty sure this defeats the purpose. At least I'm boosting the economy, right?

Publix, the local supermarket has even put up a banner outside the store to remind shoppers to bring in their bags. I never see it. I'm probably twittering and trying not to walk into cars. Publix also gave out a little disk to put in your cup holder as a reminder too. Yeah, that one didn't work for me either.

I can hardly be blamed though. I mean…… really. I'm a peri-menopausal woman losing estrogen at the speed of light. I can't be expected to remember everything!

I wish I could say that shopping bags were all I'm forgetting these days. *sigh*

I will go to the mall specifically to return an item. I will walk into the mall and into the store and only realize I left the item in the car once I reach the counter.

My good friend, Miss Lolly's birthday is Christmas Eve. It has become somewhat of a tradition for Daughter #1, Daughter #2 and I to dress up in our best Christmas t-shirts and Santa hats and drive over to her house early on the 24^th to sing her our special birthday song. This past year, we arrived just as they were getting all gussied up to go out to lunch to celebrate. The whole family looked great and we used the opportunity to take a family photo of them in front of their Christmas tree.

**Bear with me people, I do have a point here***

A little over a week later, we received a photo card of the Miss Lolly family wishing us a very happy New Year. MHS commented that he wondered who had taken the picture. I said, "Oh you know Wolfgang, he probably photo-shopped himself in. He does that all the time." At that point, D2 who had overheard our conversation walked over to see the picture. She looked at me like I had two heads and said, "YOU took that picture!" And she was right. *sigh*

As you can plainly see, I am a woman who is suffering from severe midlife distraction. The ability to focus on one idea has become all but impossible. Multi-tasking has become a joke. I can barely single task. But this much is true: I really want to be green.

So if you see me wandering around the parking lot at Publix, dodging cars, all while texting and twittering, please remind me to go back to the car and get the bags out of my trunk.