The suit, which names the BLM and the U.S. Interior Department as defendants, argues that the federal government is putting the environment, public health and the region's cultural resources at sites like Chaco Culture at risk by allowing oil and gas development in the lower San Juan Basin, primarily the Lybrook area.

Diné Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment, the San Juan Citizens Alliance, WildEarth Guardians and the Natural Resources Defense Council, with attorneys from the Western Environmental Law Center, collectively filed the complaint in New Mexico's U.S. District Court, arguing that the BLM's ongoing permitting of drilling in the area violates the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, and the National Historic Preservation Act, or NHPA.

The groups also took to the state Capitol Wednesday to try to convince legislators to support a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, production for Mancos Shale oil in the Gallup Play area. The drilling process involves injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure to fracture shale rocks and release the natural gas or oil inside.

On Dec. 30, the BLM said it would defer issuing leases for five Navajo allotment parcels that represent 2,803 acres in response to a protest filed by environmental groups that demanded the agency suspend fracking on public lands near the Chaco park.

The BLM's Farmington Field Office is expected to finalize its amended resource management plan later this year, said Victoria Barr, the BLM Farmington Field Office district manager. Barr declined to comment on the lawsuit.

I grew up on a farm, spent my teenage years in the suburbs, and now I live in a small city and hope to live in a larger city within in the next couple years. I've done most kinds of living in my 21 years of life, and while I remember my childhood in the country fondly I have to say that I am really into city living. I like city living for a lot of the reasons Edward Glaeser brings up in his book, Triumph of the City, specifically how I do believe it makes us smarter, greener, and healthier. It's no secret that I'm a huge proponent of environmentalism (I co-host an environmental book podcast and just started a new feature about environmental books here), and while I do love nature, I recognize that the best thing environmentalists can do for their environment is to live in an urban environment. As Glaeser points out, the common misconception is that being good to the environment means living in nature, being one with it, and all of that stuff. But as I can testify as someone who has lived in rural and suburban environments, "being one with nature" means hurting nature faster. You drive more, longer distances, and more frequently when you live further away from places you need to be. Places like the store, your job, and entertainment establishments.

Luckily, Glaeser is not too hard on the people who live in suburban environments. He even succumbed to the glory of them himself, leaving the city for burbs once he settled down with a family. Glaeser recognizes that it's not so much the people living the suburbs that are the problem, it's a lack of appropriate policies across that country keeping cities from growing. This often makes rents in cities high, forcing more people to move out of the city and into the burbs where it is cheaper for them to buy a home even if they are forced to drive to work every day. Which is one of the major problems with suburbs.

Triumph of the City is an engrossing book. I was constantly trying to find a time to read some more of this because it is so full of information. Honestly, nothing in Triumph of the City is that shocking. It's all pretty common sense, and the majority of the things he brings up I have thought of before. What makes it interesting is the way everything is presented in one place, with supporting evidence, and the argument works. For the most part anyway, there were a few things I disagree with Glaeser on (but I'm not going to nit pick with him. He's trying to encourage more people to live in cities and that is a-okay in my book). Even though I was intensely enthusiastic about this book, I could see that not everyone would love it. Glaeser is not necessarily entertaining, he lays out the facts for you in a controlled, purposeful manner. Even if you're not interested in the environmental aspects of this book, the first half offers a wonderful history of the American city and profiles the triumphs and downfalls of many cities across the country.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog. I received this book as part of TLC Book Tours.

Everyone, meet Leif. He is going to help Aths at Reading on a Rainy Day and me through an interesting journey. Leif is very concerned with the environment and what is happening to the other penguins around him, and he thinks one of the best ways to learn more about the environment is to read about it. I couldn't agree more!

Aths and I are working to become more educated about what is happening with our Earth, and since w'ere both avid readers it only seems right for us to read about the changes that are happening. We're starting our new feature tomorrow. It's called Leif Reads because we are only going to talk about environmental reads, ones that Leif might think are important. The first book we're talking about is Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet

by Bill McKibben, I book I read awhile ago and am super enthusiastic about. We chose this book because it seemed like a good overall introduction to what we're dealing with in our new environment, but in the future we'd like to do more focused posts that deal with specific issues.

That is where you come in. This Sunday we'll each put up our first poll where you can all vote about what book you think we should read next. What topic are you most interested in? Food? Farming? Climate change? We want to help you learn more while we learn more! Since this is all about education, Aths and I aren't just going to review these books, we're going to post about a specific issue the book brings up every Friday and tell you what you can do to help. We'll take turns posting about a specific issue from the book-- I'll post tomorrow and Aths will post next Friday and so on. By the end of the month we'll have milked the book of everything we can think of and we'll move on to the next topic.

Some of you subscribe to the podcast I co-host, Green Reads. It will be a little like that, but I'll have more time to really focus on a specific issue in writing, rather than just give you the nuts and bolts of what the book is about. If you don't subscribe to my podcast yet, please go check it out! And if you have any ideas about what books we should read next, please leave a comment.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.

Every month Aths and I are reading one eco-centered book for our feature Leif Reads. To find out more about this feature visit the about page.

Last week I talked about Bill McKibben and his climate change organization 350.org. This week Aths is taking on a big question, which is, "What exactly is climate change?" She specifically talks about melting of the ice in the Antarctic and the gradual disappearance of islands that are below sea level. These are just two manifestations of global warming in our world, but they are by no means the only ones. Head over to Reading on a Rainy Day to read Aths's beautiful and informative post. If you've enjoyed our posts so far you might want to read Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet

for yourself. It's a great book to learn the basics of climate change and what it means.

350.org had a great post recently called 2010: Year in Review. 2010 was a big year for the environment, we had some good times, and some definite bad ones. BP oil spill anyone? This post focuses on the way people banded together during all of these times and it will truly make you glad to see that people are making a difference in the environment around the world.

Over 7,000 people promoting clean energy in Istanbul, Turkey. Just one example of the way people are banding together around the world.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.

I read a lot of nonfiction, but sometimes when it feels like I've read tons of nonfiction books in a row I get a strong desire to cheat. Usually on weekend mornings when I want to read in bed a book about the environment or a memoir just aren't going to cut it for me that morning. I want an escape, something I will sink into my pillows with and forget that I'm wearing pajamas. When that desire happens it seems like I almost always reach for a YA novel.

This is exactly what happened yesterday morning. I've been working my way through Triumph of the City

for a couple weeks and I really love it. I'm going to review it later this week and I'm talking about it on my podcast because I'm just that enthusiastic about it. But on a Saturday morning I felt like cheating. Not thinking about cities or the environment and just think about something fun. I knew exactly what the perfect book was too, Bright Young Things

. I bought this book the day it came out because I loved Anna Godbersen's Luxe series. I was completely devastated when the series ended and couldn't wait to read what she had next. The second book in Bright Young Things doesn't come out until September though, so I've put off reading it a little bit. I can already tell I'm going to have the same experience with Bright Young Things, I can't put the first book down.

Of course now I need to finish Triumph of the City quickly because I have a review obligation with TLC Book Tours, so I probably should have finished it earlier. I don't feel guilty. Bright Young Things is exactly what I needed this weekend.

What kind of books do you pick up when you're looking to cheat? Do you cheat on your books, or do you just power through until the end?

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.

In the tiny village of Dmanisi, a 1.8 million year-old human skull was recently discovered to the amazement of scientists. Nearby, a team of archaeologists from the National Museum of Georgia and the German Mining Museum (DBM) unearthed Bronze Era caves.

But the area is also rich in minerals. One site, known as Sakdrisi, is even believed to be home to a 5,000-year-old gold mine. The area was part of a concession of land the Georgian government allotted for the exploration of minerals in 1994.

In 2006, Georgia's Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection added the ancient gold mine site to its list of protected cultural monuments. The archaeological significance of the region had been a source of pride to the company that had the initial rights to mine the area. But that's now due to change. The Russian-owned company RMG bought the lease in 2012, and now plans to mine for gold.

The power of gold

RMG believes that rich gold deposits are directly under the ancient gold mine site and petitioned strongly for the government to lift Sakdrisi's protected status.

The Georgian Ministry of Culture formed a commission to study the site's status in May 2013. After one month of investigations, the commission ruled that no grounds exist to justify the protected status. In July 2013, the Ministry of Culture revoked its protected cultural heritage status.

The commission also held that the previous Georgian government had granted the protected status illegally, although they say they cannot find the 2006 documents that granted Sakdrisi permanent protection.

Thomas Stöllner, from DBM, challenged the commission's scientific qualifications though, requesting in an open letter that a new international committee be set up to test the site's archaeological signficance. So far the request has fallen on deaf ears.

Conflicts of interest

Gold exports are big business in Georgia. Sales of the precious metal overseas totalled 25.7 million euros ($35.5 million) in 2013, nearly 3 percent of the country's total export earnings.

RMG Commercial Director Solomon Tsabadze, a former Georgian Environment Ministry official, says the mining company provides 85 percent of the local budget through licensing fees and is the largest single employer in the region.

But civil society groups suspect collusion between the mining company and the government. Back in 1994 a Ministry of Environment official, Zurab Kutelia, issued the original mining permit for Sakdrisi. Today, he is the chairperson RMG's supervisory board and a company shareholder. On the other hand, other former mining company directors have become government officials too.

For Marine Mizandari, Georgia's former Deputy Minister of Culture, the ministry's decision to remove Sakdrisi from its list of protected sites is a serious setback.

"Why are we called the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia, if we don't protect our monuments of culture?" she said to DW, adding that she believes she was dismissed from her post in the culture ministry for reasons related to Sakdrisi.

Citizens stand up

Mizandari is now at the forefront of the Public Committee to Save Sakdrisi, a coalition of civil society groups and students demanding that the Culture Ministry appoint a non-partisan group of international experts to re-evaluate Sakdrisi.

But her protest work is not yet getting results. At a recent meeting with university students on the issue, Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili reiterated the commission's controversial findings, saying there was no proof gold had ever been mined in Sakdrisi. He stressed that RMG has already invested heavily in the Georgian economy and that protecting Sakdrisi would jeopardize the jobs of 3,000 people.

RMG has now been given the green light to begin excavating, and activists and students have organized protests against the Culture Ministry's decision in Tbilisi and near the mine site. One of their chief complaints is their exclusion from the decision-making process.

"You can stop anybody on the street and every Georgian will tell you they are proud of their history and culture," said Avtandil Ioseliani, representing Unanimity, a local NGO coalition. "I don't know what the Culture Ministry is doing, but they are not answering the questions society has."

Although Sakdrisi has lost its cultural heritage protected status, it is still an archaeological site, which prevents RMG from destroying it completely. The Culture Ministry has announced that it will appoint an independent group of archaeological experts to monitor the mining work done.

But mining opponents fail to see the logic in the policy, since the mining process requires blasting and the destruction of the ancient tunnels, they say.

Nikoloz Antidze, from the National Agency for Cultural Heritage and Preservation of Georgia, recalls how archaeological sites were ruined when BP laid an oil pipeline across the country in last 10 years.

"State interests often override archaeological interests all over the world, not just in Georgia," he told DW.

Source: Deutsche Welle [December 17, 2014]

I mentioned a few times last week that I started a podcast recently. Some of you mentioned you'd like to more about it, so I'm just going to do a full out post here. The podcast is called GreenReads and I started it with my boyfriend. We're reading one book every two weeks and then talking about it on our podcast. The books we're talking about are somehow related to the environment, but not always overtly. We just published our first real podcast and we discuss A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. You might remember that I reviewed A Walk in the Woods last week. There is some overlap between the podcast in my review, although I talk about the book in a very different way. When I review a book here I usually talk about how I liked it as a book and as a reader. On the podcast I'll talk more about how I read the book as an environmentalist.

The podcasts are about 30 minutes long and can be listened to on our website or downloaded from iTunes for free. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and it will automatically be downloaded to your computer every time there is a new one.

If podcasts aren't really your thing but you still want to know more about the environment you should check out our blog. Every once in awhile we'll do a post where we talk about something environmental we've done recently.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.

Maybe something else good came out of Sleeping Naked is Green, or maybe this is something I've been thinking about for awhile and the book just got me thinking about actually doing something about it. I read. A lot. And I buy a lot of books, which means my paper use is astronomical. I mean really, I look around my house and I see it everywhere. So how do I reconcile the fact that I use all of this paper but still consider myself a green activist?

One way to think about it is that everyone has their vice. Some people have gas guzzlers, some people buy a lot of coffee at Starbucks and use the paper cups instead of bringing their own, and some people buy a lot of imported foods. I just happen to be a reader, and if it wasn't this it would be something else. But that doesn't mean there aren't things I can do to make my vice, say, my hobby, a little nicer on the environment. I have some ideas on how I can do this, and maybe you have some ideas too (I'd love to hear them!).

Here are few things I'm asking myself to do.
1. Simply buy less books. Only buy books you know you will read, no matter how discounted they are, what deal is going on, or how popular a book is. Do your research before you buy, and keep a list of books you hear about. If you continually return to that book as something you want to read then go for it.
2. Buy books used whenever possible, and if the book is unavailable in a local used bookstore but you still want to buy it, order it from a company that has green shipping like Better World Books. Used books are just fantastic. They're usually cheaper, they're better for the environment because it's recycling, and used bookstores are just fun to browse. I've also found that almost anything that is a year old or more can be found on Better World Books, which is a great organization. They have eco-friendly shipping and they help fund global literacy!
3. Use that library card. For books I want to read once, or I'm not sure I want to buy, I need to start using the library. There are so many books I have that I shouldn't have bought. I just read them once, I'm never going to look at them again, I just wanted to read the story and now I'm done. Why did I not use the library?
4. Sell, give away, or donate books that I am no longer using. I might try to give away some of my books on here, and then whatever is left I'll try to sell and donate the remainders. I'm just sick of some of these books taking up space in my house, and even if I don't get anything out of them (monetarily) I would still love to have that extra space and now I'm not wasting the book.
5. Walk or bike to the bookstore and library. If I'm able to obtain the book in Iowa City than it's best to get there without a car. If I do go to the bookstore in the car, then I need to put it with my other car errands/work.

What are some of your ideas for greening your reading?

According to Environment, Energy and Climate Change Minister Yiannis Maniatis, the budget for the project amounts to 5,650,000 euros. The purpose of the initiative is to make improvements to the landscape surrounding this important archaeological site, including the addition of a herb garden with healing plants, new pathways for tourists, kiosks that will provide information about the history of medicine and promote local agricultural products with healing properties, etc.

Located in a small valley in the Peloponnesus, the shrine of Asclepius, comprises of three principal monuments, the temple of Asclepius, the Tholos and the Theatre – considered one of the purest masterpieces of Greek architecture – that date from the 4th century.

The vast site, with its temples and hospital buildings devoted to its healing gods, is a precious testimony to the practice of medicine in antiquity.

Source: Protothema [December 18, 2014]

Copyright by B/M | Photography Ulrich Hartmann | Styling Sebastiano Ragusa | Hair/MakeUp Tom Strohmetz | Model Valeria Benner
In season Spring/Summer 2012 Berlin-based fashion label Burkhardt/Möllmann presents itself clearly defined and minimalist as usual. Tight and straight patterns and the focus on a few, but particularly colourful elements catch the observer’s eye.
As sometimes denoted in former collections, the basic theme of B/M 121 is borrowed from a technical work environment. This time motives are modelled on the clothing worn by an aircraft carrier’s crew. Every crew member wears a certain uniform which exactly characterizes their tasks on board, since the uniforms can be clearly
distinguished by visual elements. Different integral colouring is combined with several graphic shapes and symbols. Consequently, every single combination from colour, shape and symbol is a code and expresses the person’s exact function.
This fascination for the semiotics of colours and design elements is now reflected in Burkhardt/Möllmann’s present fifth collection. the luminous colours orange and blackberry are mainly used in geometric details on straps, belts, zippers, buttons, collars, cuffs and laces. At the same time, the colours form a contrast to the neutral parts in anthracite, black and white. the lucid details and the colour-neutral parts are united in their distinctive graphic stringency and seeming functionality.
BURKHARDT/MÖLLMANN

VIA Burkhardt/Möllmann Spring/Summer 2012 Women’s Collection

VIA Moon Microbe Mystery Finally Solved: NASA's dirty little secret?

Thou Shalt Not Road Trip by Antony John is one of the books I was most looking forward to in 2012. So when I invited Antony to take part in Just Contemporary and he sent me an ARC, to say I was ecstatic is an understatement.

I am going to warn you in advance that this review is all over the place and it's long. Although my feeling are overall positive, they range from surprised to shocked to disappointed to confused to annoyed to thrilled to amazed to Seriously? to pleased and pretty much everywhere in between. So.

To be perfectly honest, a part of me is devastated that I didn't love this book the way that I absolutely adored Five Flavors of Dumb. This doesn't mean I didn't like it, but this book lacked a certain authenticity in everything except the religion talk. Which makes that a great place to start.

I was surprised when I started reading this book to realize just how much religion plays a part in the story. I don't know how I missed it, because the title includes the words 'thou' and 'shalt' and the main character is on a book tour for the book he wrote called Hallelujah. So, I was instantly wary. Because, for a lot of reasons, that I'm pretty sure I don't need to numerate, books with really strong religious themes are not always my favorite and, in my experience, they aren't always done very well. But for me, this was actually the best part of the book. Rather than being a book about RELIGION it is more a book about a boy who happens to be religious. He believes in God, says his prayers, wants to see other people happy and he also questions his faith and beliefs. As someone who has been religious my whole life, this was incredibly refreshing to me. Here we have a mostly normal teenage boy, who is religious and it isn't this huge thing or problem or issue or whatever. It just was.

And Antony gets the full Ashley stamp of brilliance, because he managed to talk about religion a lot (Luke is on a book tour through Christian book stores) but he never, not once, came across as preachy to me. There were morals to the story, and life lessons learned but none of them were strictly brought about because of a religious lesson. They were normal. And it was amazing. Here is a book with religion in the summary that didn't turn into either an excuse to hate on religion and demonstrate its utter evil OR a 300+page Sunday School lesson. There are a lot of people and a lot of teens who go to church every Sunday. It an important but normal part of their lives. It's nice to have a book that gives us a religious character and handles it well. So, serious awesome points to Antony for that. Seriously.

However, I had a really hard time with just about every character in this story. Luke is supposed to be on tour for his book and his older brother, Matt, is brought along to act as his chauffeur. But Matt decides to bring along his girlfriend, Alex, and her little sister, Fran, who happens to be Luke's ex-best friend and major crush. Awkward. Fran has changed physically a lot in the past year, and Luke interprets this to mean that everything he knows about Fran has changed. And since she is a large part of the reason he's questioning a lot of his decisions (including his faith) and feeling disconnected from his life. So the author of this inspirational best-selling Christian self-help novel finds himself feeling... less than charitable as their road trip advances.

I found myself really frustrated with these characters. Luke's disinterest in his own life, his naivete and his complete and total self-centeredness were incredibly frustrating to read. Not that he didn't grow as a character, because he did and by the end of the book I was absolutely rooting for him. But it was a struggle getting me there. Fran has made some drastic physical changes — outrageous hair, piercings, tattoos, drinking etc. All things that usually signal a cry for help. But all Luke can see is that his best friend is suddenly different and he feels so wounded. When he talks to her, even when he thinks he is being so magnanimous and gracious, he's judgmental and feels as if her problems are all about him. Again, he grows as a character but it's a bit rocky in the beginning.

Matt was probably my least favorite character (although undeveloped Alex isn't far behind.) He is supposed to be in charge of organizing Luke's schedule and getting him places on time. Instead, he regularly took long detours, made decisions about where they would stop without saying anything about it to Luke and there were a few times he outrighted lied to him. While it's very true that Luke needed to lighten up a bit, Matt's behavior drove me nuts. He ignored phone calls from Luke's publicist, used the emergency credit card too often and ignored Luke's distress without even trying to alleviate it. Pretty much every time he did anything, Matt frustrated me. You understand him and his motivations better by the end of the book too, but he still never really grew on me.

Fran was an interesting character and probably my favorite of the bunch. Aside from Luke, she has the most depth and personality and meaning, but even then, I felt her main purpose in the story was to bring balance and understanding to Luke and give him the motivation, reason and environment necessary to invite growth and change. Luke has some depth as a character (for good or bad) without Fran, but Fran had very little without Luke. She was the next best developed character overall, and I felt for her, I really did, but not enough.

The book also include excerpts from Hallelujah, Luke's books, and they are seriously laugh out loud funny. Written as Bible passages, full of 'and he spake' and 'thus sayeth' and 'art thou' they are basically stories of inspiration and hope and insight. Some are funny, some are motivating, and some are a little more tinged with despair, but each were placed perfectly throughout the book to build and move the story forward. These were a fabulous addition, one that added a lot of depth and feeling to the story that would have otherwise been missing.

I do have one other confession about this book, lest you think I was totally disappointed. I have been in a bit of a reading slump lately. And when I'm in this kind of mood, I read very slow, I start and stop books frequently, and I have to kind of force whatever book I'm reading. This has absolutely nothing to do with the book I'm reading, and everything to do with my personal mood. And even though I really and truly did enjoy this book, I am 99% positive that if I had read it when I was more in the mood to read, I would have really loved the book. It's definitely one that I'm going to reread. Maybe I'll even reread it soon, so that if my feelings change drastically, like I think they could, I can rereview the book closer to its April release date. Who knows.

What I do know, is that even not being as enamored of this book as I was of Dumb, it is definitely a book worth reading and it's one that I've already been talking about and recommending. I think this book has a lot to offer and Antony John is going to be firmly stuck on my favorite authors list for a long time. It's a story about life and love and second chances, about friendship, looking beyond the surface and being true to yourself. It's a story that makes you laugh, but one that also makes you think. And while it's not necessarily a story for everyone, it is a story that I believe is important. It's a book that is going to stick with me and even though they weren't my favorite, I have a feeling these characters aren't going to get out of my head for a long time

I read John D'Agata's essay in The Believer this past Spring where he talks about suicide and environmental factors in Las Vegas. At the time I didn't know that he was coming out with a book on the exact same subject, so when I found out that this essay I loved in The Believer was actually a book length essay I was immediately intrigued. About a Mountain

is about D'Agata's experience in Las Vegas exploring Yucca Mountain, a spot where nuclear waste was going to be stored. He explores what the world would look like in the future for the people who would have to deal with the effects of storing nuclear waste there. He works at a suicide hotline and explores the high suicide rate in Las Vegas and in doing so, explores the culture of Las Vegas and outside of Las Vegas.

I've been to Las Vegas several times (especially considering I'm not yet 21) but haven't read a whole lot about it. It's an interesting to place to know more about, but I was initially upset with D'Agata's original essay in The Believer because I felt it was a little dangerous to characterize a city by its suicide rate and further trying to make an explanation for it. Maybe, probably, this made me uncomfortable because I come from a place where suicide is quite frequent and through high school I was judged for being a part of that place. I was less bothered by that in the book, but I think maybe that is just because I accepted it from the essay. One of the greatest things about this book is that D'Agata is coming to Yucca Mountain with very little knowledge, which makes it very easy for the reader to learn right along with him. This is a technique a lot of my favorite essays and books employ. Rather than being talked at by an expert, we get to learn along with the author. For something as outrageous as Yucca Mountain that learning process can be extremely powerful.

D'Agata is considered in expert on the essay form and the evolution of it-- so you really have to respect him for that alone. However, I felt this book was a little indulgent at times. I really disliked when he strung sentences on and on and described one thing multiple ways for pages and pages. The book is not very long, but with the amount of time he spends saying the same thing 100 ways it could have been much shorter. I enjoyed this book, and I think to really get a grasp on Yucca Mountain you have to read the book, but I felt the essay in The Believer was much more cohesive and better written.

I give this book a B.

Additionally, the last three books I've reviewed have somehow dealt with environmental issues and at this point you can probably surmise this is something I'm passionate about. In fact, I'm so passionate about it I've decided to start a bi-weekly podcast about books that deal with environmental issues. Even if you're not that interested in the environment I can assume you have an interest in books- so please give my podcast a try! We're still in the beginning phases but you can check out our introductory podcast at GreenReads and while you're there leave us a comment, some ideas, or just follow us so you know when our first real episode goes up.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you make a purchase using one of my links I will earn a small percentage which will then go back into this blog.

Commercial Mailboxes for houses

Residential Mailboxes for cottages

VIA «Mailboxes for apartments and cottages»

I've become obsessed with drawing recently. I used to draw all the time in high school and when I got to college I just stopped. I can't explain it. Luckily I just go Make Yourself Happy by Lucy Knisley while I was in Chicago from this great store called Quimby's Bookstore. Make Yourself Happy was a staff recommendation, and even though I couldn't really figure out what the book was about I really wanted to buy a graphic novel I'd never even seen before. So I got this one. Apparently Lucy Knisley is most well known for her graphic travelogue, French Milk

, which I've heard of but never read. Make Yourself Happy is a collection of journals from 2009-2010, which cover her life as a 24-year-old graduate student, published artist, and all around awesome person.

What I most enjoyed about Make Yourself Happy was Knisley's outright honesty. She loves She's the Man, Pride and Prejudice, she reads romance, she feels bad about herself, she's selfish, and she is lazy. Basically, she is a twenty-something girl living in Chicago-- which was an experience I could totally relate to. Knisley is easy to love because she's just like your best friend. She doesn't try to be hip, she doesn't try to be anything. I love the inner dialogue in the HourLies, which are a series of short comments for each hour of the day. They are two panels usually, and just show the most important things from that hour. These were great because they made me think back over the course of my day and realize how many observations I could have saved through writing or drawing, but didn't.

The longer portion of the book is a travelogue of a trip to Paris Lucy took with her boyfriend during the summer. She is totally paranoid in the beginning, attempting to plan outfits that will make her look romantic and beautiful, only to get to Paris and spend a lot of the time in her underwear (understandable). In the travelogue she includes found objects, like a written poem, as well as larger, more detailed drawings. The travelogue appears about 3/4 of the way through the book, which is perfect timing because we get a break from her regular routine and see something different, but we've also gotten to known her up to that point so can understand her more fully in this new environment.

I really loved Make Yourself Happy and I'm quickly becoming obsessed with Lucy Knisley's work, which you should check out at her website. Make Yourself Happy is self-published by Knisley and can be purchased from her website for $15. Worth every penny.

I give this graphic journal an A.

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City in a miniature

VIA «Entertaining ecology in Hamburg»

Aths and I have reached the end of our journey with Eaarth. She posted an amazingly well written post about our obsession with progress and growth today. You should all head over to Reading on a Rainy Day to check it out. I feel so lucky to work with someone who can express passionate ideas about the environment as eloquently as Aths!

I have been absent from the Internet for most of the day, mostly because I was at work all day. While I was at work I listened to several podcasts about environmental issues, but one really stuck with me. If this episode of Organically Speaking doesn't get you thinking about food and the dangers of how we currently manage food I don't know what will. It's about the spinach scare that happened not too long ago. It's funny but full of helpful information. This was my first time listening to this podcast but I'm definitely going to be a subscriber from now on.

Speaking of podcast, the new episode of Green Reads will be up by tomorrow-- be on the lookout!

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Most of the archaeological sites and features, which date back to prehistoric, classical, medieval and early modern periods, were discovered as a result of stringent planning permit monitoring procedures and field surveys carried out by MEPA and the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH).

These newly unearthed archaeological sites include extensive areas characterised by a high density of prehistoric and classical pottery scatters, classical tombs, rural walls with long stretches of megaliths and ashlar stones, historic paths, ancient enclosures and water systems. Rural structures worthy of preservation such as giren (corbelled huts), apiaries and small vernacular buildings were also identified.

These archaeological sites and features are of local and national importance and contribute towards the understanding of the cultural landscape of the area.

A number of single chamber tombs and small catacombs have been recorded in Mġarr and Żebbiegħ. These tombs indicate a well established human presence in the classical period and could provide data for establishing the location of settlements and ancient roads in this period. The classical period features provide an archaeological landscape which is distinct from the prehistoric one, even if both overlap the same geographical space.

The undeveloped landscape in Mġarr and Żebbiegħ is characterized by the presence of extensive stretches of karstland, interspersed with small pockets of reclaimed agricultural areas. Within the surviving karstland, a large number of cart-rut systems and ancient quarries are recorded. An industrial site containing a kiln complete with water channels and a cistern has also been discovered. Some of these rock-cut archaeological features date as far back as the Bronze Age.

As expected, within such a primarily natural landscape characterized by active agricultural areas, one comes across a number of traditional rural structures in various degrees of conservation. These rural structures include old pathways, apiaries, giren, animal pens (some of which underground), cisterns, silos, post-holes, vine trenches and water channels which have a varying level of cultural or historic importance, but which collectively presents one of the most interesting agricultural and historically rural landscape in Malta.

A WWII shelter at Jubilee Square (Wesgħat il-Ġublew) and Fisher Street have also been scheduled by the Authority.

This area, with its substantial number of archaeological sites as well as rural and military heritage features is one of the most complete and complex rural and cultural landscapes in Malta with a history that spans over 7,000 years.

Source: Malta Today [December 23, 2014]

Hey everyone! I have Carlyle here with us today as a guest!! Carlyle does like to be secretive, so we have an avatar, not a picture, but let's still make Carlyle feel welcome! Lots of comment love!:) (Note, I did change some of the links in this post. Anything in () is mine. I changed any url left into a link)

My favorite Childhood book of all Time.

Introducing: Jock of the Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick

I read Jock of the Bushveld when I was about nine. This book has stayed with me thought out my life. This is the tale of Jock and his owner. It rings so true to man's best friend analogy. Jock saves his owners life, guides him though the danger of the South Africa wilderness. Comes up against a lion, and many more. In this book I found love, adventure, comedy, heartache, friendship and adventure. To date one of the best books I had ever read. This book is significant to me because I have walked where Jock and Sir Patrick once walked. I have smelt and breathed in the air of the bushveld that brought about the writer in me. Jock of the Bushveld is a legend in South Africa for his courage, loyalty and bravery. (in my blog to read the original tale!)

Jock of the Bushveld is set in the 1880s of Southern Africa, a tale of the wilderness years of the land as the discovery of diamonds and gold began to rapidly transform the political and economic dynamics of the Southern African landmass. It began as stories told to Fitzpatrick's own children of his adventures in the veld with his dog Jock and only later becoming the publication we know so well.

The most interesting part of Jock is the exploration of the open spaces of the veld of Southern Africa and its wildlife, which is done through the vehicle of the relationship between Fitzpatrick and Jock and their adventures together, mostly in the form of hunting wildlife. The particular atmosphere of both the highveld and the lowveld are so well conveyed. This is the treasure of the book and a profound impression of the land, this very land, in the blood of its people that is the core to understanding South Africans. The hunting episodes remind us of the wealth of the land (the author came to the land in search of gold and this remains a submerged vein to the story) both in its fauna and flora, amidst the collisions of its different peoples.

A true tale of friendship

This piece comes at the most appropriate time for me, as it is just been released on the big screen. Jock of the Bushveld is back as SA's first 3D animated film: (in my blog to watch the trailer.)

And as always the film only picks up on some of the aspects the book holds. After you have taken the kids to watch this film, get the book. It will soon become the kids favourite bed time story. Unlike many fairytales this book does not have a happy ending. But the lesson learnt and the story between man and dog will stay in your heart for all time.

You can read more about this amazing story on my blog, Carlyle on The Broken Series.

You can also find me on twitter @CarlyleL

I was born in Johannesburg South Africa during the terrible fashion decade of the 80's. My first poem was written in the heart of the bushveld wilderness amongst the Elephants, Giraffes and the roaring Lions that I could hear from our camp site at night. I was twelve when my pen hit a random piece of paper and my best poem was written. It is to the majestic environment of the bushveld that I owe the fire to my writing experience. As a teenager I moved onto lyric writing. I started writing my first Novel almost 18 months ago. Received a certificate from the Writing School of SA collage in 2010.My first Novel is due in 2012. I am a amateur writer, blogger and a new Author. I am a mother of two, a wife, a marketing consultant during the day, a reader at night and in my mind I am writing all the time.

I have total confidence that you will love Jock of The Bushveld as much as I did, and still do.

Thank you so much Carlyle for joining us today for Memory Monday! This sounds like such a sweet story!:) I'll have to look it up!

Hello blogging world! I am officially back in my own house in Iowa City. I'm still not freshened up from my trip, there is laundry and unpacking to do, but I couldn't wait another day to write a blog post. I had every intention of posting more while I was absent, but if I'm being totally honest I loved the break from blogging. I think I really needed it. And now I'm back to bombard with you with pictures from my trip. Jason and I hit up four countries and five cities in seventeen days. It was crazy.

We landed in Amsterdam first, and that was the only place I blogged from. It was also my favorite place we visited. I loved biking around the city and how Amsterdam is a city yet really feels more like a small town.

Favorite Amsterdam moment: Absolutely everything was closed on New Year's Day, so we ended up renting bikes and just riding around all day. It was frustrating at the time because none of our plans worked out, but now that I know we got to do everything we wanted (pretty much) I look back on that day with a great fondness.

From Amsterdam we took a short day trip to Brussels where there is a comic strip museum. Count me excited! Brussels also has a ton of amazing food and was probably the best food we had over the course of our trip.

Favorite Brussels moment: My mouth is still watering over the mulled wine and scalloped potatoes with ham and cheese. What a delicious snack. The comic strip museum was a lot of fun as well, although their gift shop was a huge letdown. Their English selection was one shelf. So yeah, the food wins.

Our next stop was Berlin, which is must say is one of the strangest cities I have ever visited. There is so much street art and punk culture there, which I really loved, but I found that the people were very abrupt. Not rude, just a little harsh. The way Berlin exists today is also about as old as I am, which was weird. You can really see the history of WWII and Communism there, which only makes the city feel harsher.

Favorite Berlin moment: I really loved this particular section of the Berlin Wall, but it's not my favorite moment. I'd have to say the best thing we did in Berlin was visit this bar called Kaufbar. You could buy the vintage furniture in there and they played awesome music. It was a very relaxing environment and felt more like a normal coffeeshop in the United States than a bar.

We took a day trip to Prague from Berlin. All we really had time for was a tour of the city and then some time at bars that evening. This is where we met one thousand Australians because they are all on summer holiday right now. I've met one Australian my whole life and I go to Europe and meet all of them. Crazy.

Favorite Prague moment: We stayed a night in Prague and after having a crazy day where we tried to see everything it was really nice to wake up the next morning and just wander around. Prague is a really beautiful place and the train ride there was even more beautiful.

Our final stop was Munich. We were getting fairly tired at this point but we still did quite a bit. We visited Hofbrauhaus, Dachau, Neuschwanstein, and did some shopping. They love their beer in Munich, so it was a pretty fun place to turn 21 for an American.

Favorite Munich moment: Even though it's not in Munich, the best day we had was my birthday (at least I think it was the best day). I was super hungover but visiting Neuschwanstein was so much fun. Pictures really don't do justice to the beauty of the snow covered forest on the walk up to the castle. It was a fairy tale birthday.

So that's my trip in a tiny nutshell. I had an amazing time and got just the break I needed. Jason and I are already talking about where we want to visit next!

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