Advent Earth Care

Exploring the Amazon, looking for birds.

 My theme for this first week of Advent is to "Cherish and care for the earth". I express my unity with nature at Advent in two basic ways:

• by offering small gifts of love and attention in recognition of all I receive from the earth
• and by finding joy and fulfillment in simply being alive, instead of in an excess of buying, eating, using, and wasting.

Agenda Today:
1. Journal queries

2. Go for longer walks
3. Work against climate change
4. Create an outside winter visiting area
5. Make bird feeder pine cones
1. Journal queries:

How do I seek the holiness inherent in the order of nature, the wildness of wilderness, and the richness of the world?
How do my daily habits and choices reflect my respect for the web of life?
How do I educate myself and others about living in harmony with the earth?

2. Go for longer walks:
I walk a mile or more every morning with my beautiful dog, Sadie, being careful to wear the clothes that keep me comfortably warm and dry. 

Yesterday I also had my grandson, and we went looking for ducks on the Amazon creek.

3. Work against climate change:
I've been working with the group 350.org for a few years now. Their goal is to "build the global grassroots climate movement that can hold our leaders accountable to science and justice."

After the forest fires we had this summer, I want to do more, but the pandemic is curtailing direct action (for me, at least). I've attended zoom meetings for climate action, bicycle advocacy, and city council meetings when I can. 

I just read an article in Western Friend magazine about the great Quaker activist, Bill Moyer, and what he learned about activism over the course of his lifetime:

The pattern that Bill Moyer saw was this: After the big protests are done, if organizers keep patiently working to win people’s hearts – by talking with them and educating them – then eventually, the great majority of people will want the same justice the organizers want. After that, justice comes quickly

I am hopeful that because many people have had lots of time this year to sit at home, watch the news, and contemplate the future, we will see a shift of minds and hearts in the new year.

4. Create an outside winter visiting area: 

Because of the pandemic, we are spending more social time outdoors. We want to be together with friends and family, but also want to prevent possible spreading of this terrible virus.

Now that it's cold, it's getting harder, but we are working on setting up a cozy, wind protected seating area with lights and a tree. If we dole out hot water bottles and blankets it should be pretty comfortable.

5. Make bird feeder pine cones:

Right now, because of the cold, the wild birds are looking for high energy foods. 

Peanut butter is high in fat and full of protein, and could be considered the perfect bird food. Be sure to get natural, no-sugar peanut butter, or use vegetable shortening as an alternative.

Supplies: 1 c. peanut butter or shortening, or a combination, 1 c. oatmeal or cornmeal, large pine cones, bird seed, yarn or string

Yield: Makes 2 bird cones-

1- Mix equal parts peanut butter or shortening with oatmeal or cornmeal until well blended. (I used half a cup of each and it just covered this one medium-sized cone.)


2- Choose a pine cone. Cut a long length of string to hang the bird feeder, and tie around the pine cone near the top (about 3 sections down).

3- Use a butter knife to spread peanut butter inside the pine cone and around the edges.

4- Fill a bowl with birdseed. Roll the pine cone in the birdseed. 

Go out and hang it in a tree where you can watch from a window.