Donating eco-food at the holidays

© Photos by Patricia Dines, 2012 

Seeing the food donation barrels come out for the holidays made me pause and remember to be grateful that I have enough to eat. Unfortunately, many people in this country do not – including the "working poor," who support so much of the structure of our community. Also impacted are their families, as well as many of our culture's elders, who are living out their golden years on limited incomes.

So I thought to myself that maybe this year I wanted to send some money to the Redwood Empire Food Bank. 

But I hesitated, wondered why, and realized that it was because my money probably wouldn't be used to buy them organic food. 

I rolled my eyes at myself. Really? I know that any food would be appreciated, and I'm glad for the work REFB does. 

Still, I listened to my own heart too. Yes, I'm not personally excited to give people mainstream food that I know probably has toxics and a lot lower nutrients.

But then I realized – I can buy them organic food and put it into one of these bins!  Well, duh! So I found the organic form of the packaged staples that REFB says folks need most (and got them at good sale prices) then put them in the barrel. Yay!

So that felt good. But still I wondered, “Is that the best I can do?” 

Just then my calendar rolled up with a notice for the Ceres Community Project Annual Holiday Party, being held at their new Sebastopol building. Oooo, I love the work that this nonprofit does, so I was glad for the chance to get an update and look for ways that I can support their activities. 

Discovering Eva: The etheric voice of singer Eva Cassidy

Music has long been such a gift in my life, offering beauty, play, empathy, nourishment, and so much more. One of my personal pleasures is the feeling of singing, and I was even a DJ at my college radio station! 

I won’t be discussing music much on this blog – that’s a whole ‘nother conversation. But I had to make sure you knew about the amazing etheric voice of Eva Cassidy. 

When she passed away in 1996, at the too-young age of 33, she had a following in her native Washington DC. But it wasn’t until four years later that she was discovered more broadly, when a British DJ played her signature song "(Somewhere) Over the Rainbow." 

People’s overwhelming and positive response to that song rippled around the globe, making her an unexpected sensation, just because of the quality of her singing. Her songs have gone on to sell millions of copies and top the charts in various countries. Her friends say that she was actually quite shy, so they feel that perhaps it's OK that this outpouring happened after she passed.

I just recently discovered her, when I heard her version of "(Somewhere) Over the Rainbow" on the radio, and (like so many other folks) was stopped in my tracks. Something amazing was going on there. I had to find out who she was!