Connecticut Green Living

I caught this substitute teaching. I have a weird feeling in my chest, sort of a cool sensation, but I can breathe. I came down with a sore throat Thursday, tested negative for Covid , then negative again Friday. But after heavy congestion and a hoarse voice, my brother said, "You sound like me when I had it, but maybe it was from being out in the cold." I had waited 25 minutes for a bus when it was about 17 degrees out. I would not find out till this morning, though, that I'm Covid-positive. After avoiding this successfully since we first learned of the novel virus, my time had come. I even predicted it on New Year's Eve in my annual vision collage, with a single word "Covid." I knew that as a substitute teacher in New Haven, in classroom after classroom with largely unmasked kids and staff and no regular testing, it would only be a matter of time. Is this how we have to live? If the schools were testing kids regularly with rapid tests and providing staff u...

Halloween is here! In my day, we fashioned hand-sewn costumes and reused our uncle's Army jackets or grandma's wig. It was the '70s and recycling was all the rage. Then came the 80s and all bets were off. America kept abusing the planet, including at its holidays, with reams of wasted wrapping paper and ribbons piling up in our livingrooms like non-green monsters. We can do better. Here are some tips, courtesy of ECOlunchboxes of Northern California: Make Your Own Decorations Consider using upcycled and recycled items for decorating, and definitely avoid that nasty “spiderweb” plastic people spread all over their bushes! Create paper cut-outs to decorate windows (which can be stored flat and saved for next year). Cover formed chicken wire with cheesecloth to create floating ghosts in the yard. Party Like a Zero Waste Rockstar Use non-breakable, kid-and-planet friendly items such as stainless-steel camping trays in lieu of paper or plastic plates, cups and utensils....

"You Can Save The Earth - An Adult Coloring Book for Environmental Awareness, Conservation, and Sustainability " is a different kind of read. That's because it's also an adult coloring book with messages both poetic and simple enough for children to understand. So share it with them and you'll see their eyes light up - not only when they color the stunning drawings of wildlife and fauna, but when you explain the messages. From our limited resources and need to use less, to the reality that greenhouse gases are burning through the atmosphere so fast that if we don't do something, our grandchildren will not enjoy the same world. What's unique about this book is that it not only instructs, not only offers pages to color, but offers prompts to make one think. For example, under "Choose to Reduce", the author quotes Pope John Paul II: "The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love...

This week, most of us adults are wishing we were kids again because the Children's Museum in West Hartford is inviting children to come explore, learn, and get their hands messy. Following is the schedule : Today, April 10: Animal Science . The science center asks: "Have you ever wondered what it would be like to study animals?" Campers will have a chance to conduct animal experiments, observe wee animals microscopically, and learn about animal bones and teeth. (Better not leave your dentures there that day, Pops!) Tues., April 11: Experiments . Come to the museum hungry for what's being billed as "a day filled to bursting with experiments that you can eat! We will make liquid nitrogen ice cream, experiment with candy, and learn about the science of making food." Weds., April 12: Desert Animals . "Campers will meet an incredibly diverse group of desert animals including gila monsters and fennec foxes. We will learn about the special adaptations t...