I feel a little bit like the groundhog who saw its shadow, jumped back in its hole, and is just now reemerging as the spring sun begins to warm the ground. In my case I was hibernating in my thesis-burrow, and I am happily optimistic about my progress. With hard work and a bit of luck, I will be defending my thesis in less than a month.

The sustainable purchasing has been steady. I have had some trouble with Fred Meyers not consistently having organic produce. I am eager to tell you about outdoor/backpacking gear that I have discovered and about my sustainable search for a bridesmaid dress. Though, I must confess that it has been somewhat hard to find comfort foods that I would previously use to reward myself for hard thesis work. And there has been no reward impulse shopping.

I have discovered one “cheat” I want to mention: Going out with friends can overpower the sustainable goal. This is not to say that my friends are not sustainably minded, but when the rest of the group craves pub fare, I choose to spend quality time with my friends and coworkers instead of backing out of the meal because I am not allowed to eat it. Unfortunately the restaurants that serve organic and local foods tend to cost more, and it is not my place to push a friend into spending more on their lunch than they might want to (or be able to). That is my own personal choice. [again...sustainable living is a class-specific privilege]

In any case, Happy Spring! Earth Day is just over a week away. How will you celebrate?