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As we began this blog with a tale of the town of Sisters, Ore., and their annual quilt show, it seems only appropriate that we end with images from this year’s wonderful fabric fest.

THE ECO-WEDDING IS BOTH OLD AND NEW. After all, the Boomers who wed in the 1960s and ’70s loved the notion of unconventional settings (such as a meadow or forest) and nontraditional vows: Barefoot brides and grooms eschewed phrases like “to obey” and instead read poetry or sang to one another.

SOURCE: iSTOCKPHOTO.COM

Fast-forward to the 21st century, where the green wedding is big business. A New York Times environmental reporter last year published “Green Weddings: Planning your eco-friendly celebration”, advising sustainably-minded brides on topics such as the venue, gifts, the gown, invitations, decor, reception, honeymoon and how to calculate the carbon footprint of one’s guests.

Thinking that sustainable weddings were oh-so-contemporary, I was delighted recently to find a 1996 paperback book on the shelf of my local library entitled “Green Weddings That Don’t Cost the Earth”, by Carol Reed-Jones. Reed-Jones wrote this tiny volume out of frustration with not being able to find ideas and information for her own eco-themed nuptials. She shares detailed instructions for making many items by hand, such as bouquets, favors and natural wedding cakes, and offers suggestions for recycling and reusing leftovers.

Reed-Jones wrote, for example: “Use organically grown, local flowers in season or grow your own. Locally-grown flowers don’t need much transportation to get to you. Out of season flowers will have to be transported long distances, contributing to pollution (and costing a small fortune).”

To every locavore bride and groom who take public transportation to their reception (like my friends Britt and Bryon did when they rode Portland’s MAX light rail from church to banquet hall) and celebrates the regional harvest of food, wine and flowers, I say:

Congratulations. You’re making a green statement that brings friends and family members along for the experience, while not being pushy or preachy.

PEOPLE LINE UP TO GET THEIR “DOROTHY FIX” of wisdom and optimism. Catching my friend Dorothy Eaves, 96, in between her travels, I asked this California adventurer, great-grandmother, former school owner and Girl Scout leader to share how she keeps her sunny outlook.

Dorothy:  I take no credit for it. The good fairy gave me an optimistic disposition when I was born.

Sherry: Does knowing you’re optimistic help you face challenges?

D:  I think it’s important that I’m not afraid of change. Life is going to be different and you’re going to have to make choices. We all have things that you wring your hands and say, “Please, take this burden away, it’s more than I can cope with.” But you can cope and then somehow it goes away.

S:  You always say nice things about people. Is that a choice?

D:  I like people. I like people who are different. I want to know about them. If I see someone new, I introduce myself. If they don’t like me, well, I’ll go find somebody else.

S:  You read recently about five commonalities of people over 85 who live well. What are they?

D: They all drank coffee — I liked that one. None smoked. They were within some sort of normal weight but they could be pretty chubby, fortunately. They liked people and they belonged to a community. Wherever I’ve gone, I found community. It’s important not to be isolated.

S: Your Episcopalian church friends took you to a biker bar for your 95^th and 96^th birthdays. Could martinis be the secret?

D: Occasional martinis; coffee and wine every day. Obviously, that isn’t going to shorten my life.

S: Next big trip?

D: Mexico in October. There are many more adventures out there and I want to go.

© ANGIE NORWOOD BROWNE

ON MANY A STEAMY summer night, raspberry popsicles were my favorite way to cool off, once the sprinkler was put away for the evening. Since then, I’ve made my own popsicles, in many different varieties, with new flavors debuting each summer. Easy to make, with pureed fruit or just plain old fruit juice, there’s no more refreshing way to end the day. These are our current favorites.

Pink Lemonade Popsicles

2 cups raspberry lemonade
Fresh raspberries

1. Fill popsicle molds with the raspberry lemonade and stuff a few raspberries into each one. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS you can do for Earth Day 2010. Personally, I think one of the best — and easiest — is to give up bottled water and drink filtered tap water out of a safe metal bottle.

Why?

Well, for starters, most bottled water you buy in the store is nothing more than tap water and may, in fact, be less safe or lower quality than your local tap water. At the same time, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is growing, thought to be bigger than Texas. Made up primarily of non-biodegradable plastic from mostly land-based sources, it is making its way into our food and water supply.

What can you do?

• Tap the tap. Investigate your local water utility to learn just how good your tap water is. Local water utilities are required to make this information public and generally mail out a water-quality report once a year.
• Filter. If you are unsure about the safety or quality of your tap water, install a faucet filter or use a filter pitcher.
• Go metal. After all the brouhaha over BPA in plastics, choose non-BPA plastic water bottles or, even better, aluminum or stainless steel.
• Recycle. When you do buy a water bottle — and we all have those moments — make sure you get the empties into the recycling stream. Although PET plastic is recyclable, only 5 percent of plastic bottles make it into the recycling stream, with 50 percent going into landfills, and the rest “unaccounted for.”

So fill up your own metal bottle with high-quality local tap water. Save money, save the oceans, support your local water utility — and have a great Earth Day.

THE CONVENTIONAL KID’S BIRTHDAY PARTY can produce mountains of waste. From the piles of disposable cups and plates to the excess of toys kids receive (but don’t really need) to the themed paper decorations that are thrown away, it’s enough to make any eco-conscious parent cringe.

SOURCE: GREENPARTYGOODS.COM

But with a bit of ingenuity, throwing a Green Birthday Party is fairly easy to do. Enlist your Kiddo’s help and it can be a fun, rewarding experience.

Start by breaking down your party into categories. Then focus on how to make each aspect as eco-friendly as possible. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Invitations: Electronic is the way to go — it’s faster, and easier for people to reply. Plus, today’s wired moms appreciate an email or text reminder of the event. Use free sites such as Evite, MyPunchbowl or Purple Trail, and let your child help with creating the design.

Themes and gifts: Instead of going with Disney’s flavor-of-the-month, think outside the box. Does your kid love puppies? Make dog-bone shaped cookies for snacks and asks guests to bring, in lieu of gifts, donations such as dog food, water bowls and leashes, which you can donate to a local animal shelter. You could ask for a monetary donation, something minimal such as $5 or $10. On the invitation, explain that half of the proceeds will go to a specific cause, the other half used by the birthday child to buy one large gift of his or her choice. Echoage can help you organize a charity-themed party.

Decorations: Consider Green Party Goods, which has a beautiful selection of eco-friendly party hats, banners and garlands, as well as tableware. Oh, and what’s a party without balloons? Forget Mylar; choose latex balloons, which are 100-percent biodegradable!

MARCH 20 IS A MAGICAL DAY: It’s both the Spring Equinox and my son’s birthday. I take pleasure in the fact that his birth coincided with spring’s arrival. It feels symbolic and life-affirming, especially for a mother whose creative expression occurs in and around the garden (his older brother was born on Summer’s Solstice, so I guess you could say I’m twice-blessed).

© iSTOCKPHOTO.COM

How do you celebrate the season’s turning?

Traditional practices are often linked to Pagan cultures. But I don’t think that’s the only way to define the Equinox. It can also be a spiritual time of new beginnings and personal growth.

I approach spring with a sacred sense of awe. I figure if I can’t climb a mountain peak or cross an ocean, at least I’ll experience the sensory presence of Nature (the sights, sounds, textures and fragrances) in my garden. This means being quiet and observant. I look for signs that the earth is waking up after a long, dormant period. My heart flutters with joy as I catch a glimpse of a hummingbird, darting from one blossom to the next in search of nectar.

I am equally charmed by a perennial bursting from the soil, reaching for the warm sun (I can’t recall ever planting it in the first place, which adds to my surprise). And the display of purple foliage or golden grass, glowing as the afternoon sun moves behind it, takes my breath away.

Anyone who has a patch of earth to call her own should appreciate the cherished ritual of springtime. The garden has a lot to teach us. Plant a seed. Provide it water, sun and fertilizer. Pull out a few weeds. Watch as the cycle begins anew. The very act of gardening is a statement of hope.

AH, VALENTINE’S DAY. WHAT OTHER HOLIDAY INSPIRES SO MUCH anticipation, pressure or, depending on one’s relationship status, loathing? Dinner, flowers and candy feel generic, but a weekend in Waikiki is probably out of the question. Relax ― there are other options.

© iSTOCKPHOTO.COM

• Swap dinner for breakfast. Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, and what better day for a leisurely, calorie-laden breakfast in bed? French toast, eggs benedict and a mimosa or two shared atop your cozy down comforter is infinitely more intimate ― and less expensive ― than dinner at Chez Louis.
• Think old-school. Remember when Valentine’s Day meant passing out cutout cards and conversation hearts? Celebrate more innocent times with mix tapes (CDs if you must), cupcakes and construction-paper cards. Then throw in something personal like a favorite Disney movie or you and your sweetheart’s childhood photos framed side-by-side.
• Think really old-school. Back in the day, anonymous, hand-written notes were the V-Day standard for lovebirds and admirers-from-afar. Take a cue and ditch the Hallmark card. Write (or, steal from Shakespeare ) a verse on quality stationary, then slip it into your loved one’s mailbox, briefcase or back-pocket. The gesture is sweet, even if it’s obvious you’re the secret admirer.

Valentine-less this year? Not to worry. Each of these ideas can be adapted for friends and family. Host a girly pajama brunch, make friendship bracelets with your besties, or just pen your pals a reminder of how much they mean to you.