Being green and devout.
I recently went to a very interesting lunchtime lecture at St Andrew’s on the Terrace called God, Gaia and Us by Lloyd Geering a really interesting New Zealand theologian. The lecture itself was primarily about how taking care of the earth was the most Christian thing you could do. I’m not Christian as many of you may know but I also have no issues with those that are thus why I was at the lecture.
It was really fascinating as he talked though the history about how as the faiths changed our view and outlook on world changed. I sat back and just listened as Llyod explained about how the ancients polytheism meant that they saw the earth as part of them. They respected everything part of natures in order not to cause offense to the god that was in charge of that item. They also believed that the gods walked among them, Because of all of these things we were connected to the planet all of it’s cycles and storms. As we slowly moved to monotheism from 200 CE to 1000 CE(which was the begining of a dark ages) our thought processes with from a living earth in which we were connected to, to a inanimate object that was the domain of satan and thus doomed. It was from this period on to the late nineteenth century that we created this idea that the earth didn’t matter, that it wasn’t important and thus no sins could be made against it.
I think what astounded me the most was that Llyod is a 90 year old minister and theologian and was saying Christianity kinda got it all wrong on this level and we need to be more like the Ancient Greeks and Romans. I believe he is on to something there and was very fascinated to hear what he had to say. He wasn’t saying we should all whorship 18 Gods and Goddess, but instead that perhaps God wasn’t to just be whorshipped in a church.
One of the best ways we can do the work of God and obey God is to take care of the earth he built. It is our responsibilty as the so called dominant species to make sure the earth is in good condition and well managed. Making sure to keep the air as clean as possible and that animals are protected when we need them. We cannot sit back and let more and more species become extinct. Just because we are the dominant species does not make us the most important one. There is a possibilty that many “Evangelical Christians” are too self centered to even contemplate. The possibility that if we don’t protect the earth and continue to help it thrive and thus respect the work of God that he very well may feel the need to have us removed for it’s own protection. That seems to be the path that we are headed to that one day the earth may reach a place that it cannot sustain human life and thus we may die off, leaving the world to the “lower species” again.
Mo-vember!
Hey Y’all It that funny furry time of the year here in New Zealand. It’s the time of the year where men all over the country start to grow furry little nose critters… Yes It’s Movemeber, the month dedicated to growing body hair(specifically moustaches) in the name of charity. The funds raised by Movember 2008 will be split between two of the best health charities in the country. Half will go to the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand’s Out of the Blue campaign to help men experiencing depression and the other half will go to the Cancer Society of New Zealand who need funding for existing prostate cancer research programs and men’s health programs.
Ryan has decided this year he will grow his first mo for charity! So keep a look out on this blog as I will update with Mo pictures! But in order to get pictures you have to donate, if you don’t donate then what good is him growing a Mo? Go ahead and donate HERE. Thanks for that in reward here is a picture of Ryan thus far!
Um wow!
THIS makes me really glad that I don’t live in Australia, we don’t have huge bird eating spiders in New Zealand which i think is so very awesome…. at least I don’t think we do… I hope we don’t!
Ugggggh!
This is the kind of day I have been having!
That’s All!
On this night!
On this night a year ago I was on a plane over the dark night waters of the pacific ocean. When I got off that plane I was met by a wonderful man who I was madly in love with. I still love him with all my heart and soul! This last year in New Zealand has been awesome and amazing in so many wonderfule ways!
So here is to new beginings!
New lives!
New friends!
New family!
Here’s to the next year, and the one after that!
We Need Change.
(an apology to my Non-New Zealand readers, this is focused at New Zealanders)
Now many people may not understand that young fashionista who desires the newest parada bag or those gorgeous marc jacobs shoes(if they only were in her size) would be a big supporter of the green party. That is due to an “image” that people have of fashionista’s. That we are young, thin, and self obsessed, okay so maybe you got me on the last one, but in the fashion world I might as well be 90, and um thin I am not.
Well despite or maybe because of my self obsession I care about the enviroment, and the future of the earth itself. I have dreams and desires that goes beyond handbags, shoes, and frocks( I know I was just as shocked as you to realize it) desires to have children, and furthermore grandchildren to be able to play with them in the rivers and woods. Desires to watch the children of today grow up to be the parents of tomorrow, and not have to worry about running out of water, air, oil, the earth.
It is apparent as this election looms nearer, it has become apparent to me that only one party is clearly thinking not only of our children, our grandchildren or even out great-grandchilden, but of their great-grandchildren. Thinking of the planet as a whole and understand tax breaks and more money will mean nothing if we have no planet to live on. Understanding this is the only planet we have and there is no trade in policy on it like your new Prius. It is agreed that New Zealand needs a change I just hope you can see like I do that the change we need is Green
I have been tagged!
Dianne has tagged me to reveal 6 random facts about myself. Here they are:
- I really like trees, and find them fansinating and often take random pictures of random trees I like. I can feel the spirits inside old trees and feel like I can hear their stories and tales of their life. I really love this tree that is right next to my work.
- I am 25% Native American, and am really into that part of my heritage. My tribe is the Potawatomi, and I really want to learn the language seeing as it is slowly dying out. Only a few of the elders still speak it and it has only been written down for the past 40 years or so. The only problem is that I would have to go back to Michigan to learn Potawatomi
- I have been knitting and crocheting for more than half my life I learned when I was about 12 which was 15 years ago. It really pisses me off when people assume I have learned to knit within the past few years.
- Among many things I am a writer and have been working on a novel for the past year or so, I haven’t actually started to write much of it, mostly I have been doing research for it. It’s amazing how much work goes into a simple sci-fi/fantasy novel
- I love music more than anything else in my life, and one of my biggest dissapointments of life is that I am not actually musical in anyway. I can’t carry a tune or play an instrument tho I have tried both. I also love just about any type of music. My ultimate favorites would have to be Punk, Jazz, Country, Musicals and Opera
- I don’t really believe in having idols and heros, I try to make sure that the person I consider a hero or an idol is myself. I am happy to state this is actually a reality for me too I think despite all the adversary and crap I have had to deal with, that I can function, survive, and even have a postive outlook on life is absolutely amazing!
Now the people I choose to tag are: Melissa, Ryan, Anne, Duffy. Krys, and Stephen
Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know your entry is up.
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In other news this hopefully means I will be back posting more often….
Holy vampires batman!
I don’t know what’s going on but today I was checking the stats of my blog seeing who comes her and how they get here, and the number one search term that people use in finding my blog has nothing to actually do with knitting or such(which i would think would be the case) no the number one keyword is vampires 427 people since April(when i upgraded and thus got stats) have come to my blog(or more specifically one post in my blog) due to vampires! I have never written about vampires in fact the one mention of vampires in this blog was when I was talking about the vampire tours of San Francisco. Oh well!
In other news I have acquired some cracksilk kidsilk night in two beautiful colors starry night, and thunder, and are just beautiful!
I really can’t believe the beauty! I got this at the wonderful Knit World Studio out in the Lower Hutt. I have been meaning to make it there for awhile but with work and it being so far out when I don’t have a car. Every fortnight they have a little knitting circle there and I finally made it this past Tuesday thanks to the help of Susan. Now I have never actually been to a stitch and bitch that was hosted at a yarn shop, and OMG am I ever so thankful that this was my first! the entire night all I wanted to do was cast on something new in each of the fabulous yarns… They were all so beautiful and wonderful. The actual group was such a lovely group of hilarious ladies, In short I had a blast! Sally who runs the studio is sweet and the studio itself was like a little yarn zen garden of relaxation! I deffinately can’t wait to make it out there again.
Back to the kidsilk night… I am thinking of making something soft, lacey, and feminine with this.. I was thinking maybe a lace ruffled scarf or something I’ll have to think some more about it! For now they will have to be content being desk pets.
phew!
Sorry I’ve been busy, busy, busy! I hope you all are doing well. I’ve been meaning to post here for weeks now! I really will try to post more often, but between getting the site all sorted and actually starting a business I barely have time to blink. Life is good, it’s December now and I don’t know how that happened… I do know that it’s hot, almost too hot to knit. It’s been 75 all this past week, and I’m starting to look at cottons for nice summer dresses, something long and with at least 3/4 length sleeves but made of a thin fabric. I really love this fabric from this website and want to order 10 yards to make the perfect summer dress!
I have to wear a lot of long sleeves in hot weather because of the sun. I burn really fast in places with an ozone layer so I burn even faster and and worse in this country without the ozone layer. which brings me to an interesting point aerosol is banned here everything like that in a can is some other gas that is ozone friendly!
I think I’m finally starting to blend in some, I pick up lingo fairly fast so that’s helpful, already I’m used to ordering a burger with chips(not fries), I have a mum now(not a mom), I stopped pronouncing Seatoun as Seatown and now as Seatoon. I still have trouble with some of the words that are or are based on Maori words. I really like it here and in general things are good. I do miss San Francisco and Micah and Sarah.
Well I guess that’s it for now!
More Pictures of New Zealand
So here are some more pictures from the Wellington Car Club Park in Newtown…
and now a oooey gooey romance one of me and Ryan(ah-ha I had a secret from you all!!)
