How Losing A Camera Was The Best Thing For Earth Day

Last week I misplaced my camera.  I was completely lost.  I felt like a spinning top wobbling to and fro, ready to fall at any moment.  

I turned my house upside down, looking in the places I usually leave it, then to look in the same spot again a few minutes later.  By midmorning, I felt a headache coming on.  My camera is my livelihood and without, I realized I was out of business.  Ironically, I’d just taken pictures of my trash and was ready to download the pictures and start posting.

I went for three days without a camera. 

I try to look for the good in situations like this, so instead of mopping around (which trust me, I did do that for a while), I took it as a sign that I wasn’t supposed to be soliciting trash to the international on-line community.

God had a different idea for me, so I went to work on other things.

With Earth Day coming up, I wanted to coordinate another My Dear Trash Earth Day Book Drive with Changing Hands and Bookmans.  I love both of these book stores and appreciate all they do in the Phoenix area.  They offer workshops, bring in authors and promote all sorts of literacy events.  Together, we hope to collect books for the Friends of the Phoenix Public Library.  Last year, our community donated over 800 books to the Earth Day Book Drive.  You can read about that here and here.

Earth Day is dear to my heart.  

I love the idea of celebrating nature and its beauty.  I look at this time of year as an opportunity to re-commit myself to doing my part to help the world in the best way I know and that is by purchasing things used.  I do my part to buy second-hand, use things out instead of throwing things out and give back by donating things I no longer need to people who do.

So, in addition to the My Dear Trash Earth Day Book Drive, Kelly and I are having a linky party on Earth Day, Friday April 22.  Thanks to those of you who participated in our April Fool’s Linky.  It’s so cool to see the trash you’re bringing home.  Once again, anything you’ve found out thrifting or garaging or just picked out of your neighbors garbage can (hee, hee, hee), if you’ve kept it, re-salvaged it or re-sold it, we want to see it. 

We are also having an Earth Day give-away.  Two $25.00 gift certificates, one from Changing Hands and the other from Bookmans will be awarded to two lucky earth lovers.  To enter, become a follower and leave a comment stating what you will be doing this year to honor Earth Day.  I know we can all learn from each others ideas.     

So, back to my camera.  

On the third day of its disappearance, my son Chandler walked in from the back yard with my camera.  “I found it in the in the grass,” he said. Of course, I tackled him with hugs and kisses, which he graciously accepted.  I downloaded the pictures on the computer and found the culprit. 

Who'd done it?

Look's like my Payson had taken the camera into the backyard to shoot off some photos, but never brought it back in.  

Those are some skilled photos, my boy.  I'm just glad we found the camera the day before irrigation.

Another irony?  I'd mentioned to my neighbor Jeff that I'd lost my camera.  Now Jeff is an electronics genius and has about every great gadget know to man.  He's the guy who always has the latest and greatest.  He told me he'd just upgraded his camera and would be happy to sell me his used camera.

I love it.  A used camera!  You say used and I'm in!

Never mind that his used camera is a Sony 12 Zoom 5.1 Mega pixel professional camera.  He brought it over and I fell in love, so today, I am now the proud owner of one point & shoot cheapy camera just found in the grass and a super cool, super trashy used amazing camera.

Jeff had me practicing picture-taking in the front yard.  

Look at my princess!  

I'm going to be using this camera all the time.

Even my dog, Sierra looks like a super star.

Thanks Jeff for the new "used" camera and for spending time with Eden.

I'm giving you my "used" point & shoot camera to my boys.  No more will I get on there case if they want to go outside and take pictures of the grass or the sky.

I plan on celebrating Earth Day all month long.  Hope you do too.

Drop-off locations for the book drive include:

*Changing Hands Bookstore*

6428 S McClintock Dr
Tempe, AZ 85283

*Bookman’s*

8034 N. 19^th Ave.

Phoenix, AZ 85021 

or 

1056 Country Club Dr.

Mesa, AZ 85210

*Any Phoenix Library Branch*

My Dear Trash Earth Day Book Drive

Writing a press release is a bit like trying to open a can of soup without a can opener; it takes creativity, hard work and an appetite.

But I did it. It took three days, countless rough drafts, proof reads from friends and a few prayers.

I finished the press release for the My Dear Trash Earth Day Book Drive and will start marketing it a.s.a.p (marketing is my favorite).

The book drive starts April 1st and runs through Earth Day, April 22nd.

To read my personal story and motivation behind Earth Day and book drives/literacy events, click here.

I'm thrilled to be working with Changing Hands Bookstore and Bookman's as drop-off sites. I've worked with both bookstores in the past. The people who work in these independent book stores are amazing and so dedicated.

If you do not live in the Phoenix area, but would like to participate in the My Dear Trash Earth Day Book Drive, contact your local library and let them know you'd like to donate your used books in honor of Earth Day. If they can't take them, they will let you know who can. Please share your stories with us by leaving a comment under any blog posting. This will be a fun month with author-signed book give-aways and author features. If you leave your story, you're and become a follower, you're qualified.

So here it is. The infamous press release. If I'm lucky, you'll see it in a newspaper near you.

__________________________________

PRESS RELEASE – For immediate release

Dear Trash on Earth Day Helping the Environment

Mesa, AZ, April 1, 2010 -- What does trash and Earth Day, April 22 have in common? Just ask Laura Lofgreen, writer and blogger at My Dear Trash (www.mydeartrash.blogspot.com).

“It’s all about helping the environment,” she says.

So what is it about trash that’s so dear? Lofgreen explains.

“I shops yard sales and thrift stores and purchases what others no longer want. Basically, I buy other people’s trash,” she says with a bit of sarcasm in her voice.

She buys everything from clothing and toys to books and furniture. Buying used helps the environment and saves her money. The surprising thing is she makes money too.

“Depending on what I buy, I use it in my own home with my family or resale it for a profit on EBay or Craig’s List.”

Not only does she make a good income, but this past year My Dear Trash has sponsored a variety of events in the form of community yard sales. In total, they’ve raised $2,600.00 to help pay for a funeral of a friend and to help a spinal-cord survivor pay for physical therapy.

This month My Dear Trash is sponsoring an Earth Day book drive April 1 thru Earth Day, April 22 and is asking valley residences to donate their gently used books.

“The idea behind the book drive is the same philosophy I use at My Dear Trash: take something that someone no longer wants and put it in the hands of someone who needs it,” she adds. “Plus, we all want to do something on Earth Day to help the environment and people in our community.”

All books will be donated to the Friends of the Phoenix Public Library (www.phoenixlibraryfriends.org).

Lofgreen and her blogging partner, Kelly Biggs write daily about the trash they find and what they do with it. Their ideas have inspired others to find value where they normally may not see it.

Books for the My Dear Trash Earth Day Book Drive can be any genre, for the young or old. Earth Day is a day to inspire people of the world to help Mother Earth. Don’t let this day pass without doing something significant. Be sure to donate your trash today.

Drop-off locations include:

*Changing Hands Bookstore*

6428 S McClintock Dr
Tempe, AZ 85283

*Bookman’s*

8034 N. 19^th Ave.

Phoenix, AZ 85021

*Any Phoenix Library Branch*

Earth Day Book Drive

I’ve always loved April 22 – Earth Day. I try to do something special in honor of it every year. My senior year of college, I worked as the ASU Environmental Issues Director. The job was a dream; I was in charge of promoting environmental awareness on campus and loved it.

Image found here.

For Earth day that year, I worked for months contacting local and national agencies, gathering information that students might find helpful and signed up venders who had eco-friendly products to sell. I also arrange for speakers, musicians and entertainers to attend. The morning of Earth Day was stressful, but before I left my house I had something important I had to do.

I took a pregnancy test.

“What does it say,” the counselor said just outside the bathroom door.

I couldn’t say anything because I was crying.

Finally I opened the door and jumped in his arms.

“We’re having a baby,” I cried with joy.

With the momentum of expecting my first baby, I drove to ASU and helped set up for Earth Day. Earth Day took on a whole new meaning to me.

Years later while running the Village Connection Nanny Agency (read about that little adventure here); my friend Jen and I sponsored Earth Day at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts.

Images found here.

We arranged for Grammy-nominated musician William Eaton and his band to perform. Like before, I contacted local agencies and venders who would be interested in attending. In addition, we sponsored a book drive. We worked with BASHAS, a local grocery store, to collect new and gently-used books which we later donated to charity. It was a great success; we raised awareness for a variety of different environmental causes and attracted new clients and nannies to our business.

The next year, Jen and I sponsored the children’s venue at Sun Festival, a huge Earth Day Event at West World in Scottsdale. We also sponsored another book drive. Our hearts shifted more into the non-profit work and less and less with our nanny agency. Our poor clients! The must have felt very neglected during the month of April.

This year, my heart has turned to Earth Day again. For months, I’ve wondered what I can do, but like the rest of us, I’ve been a bit busy. Baby girl is due April 12^th, so clearly I’m not throwing a huge blow-out community event with musicians and artists, but I do want to do something special.

After much research, I’ve found the Friends of the Phoenix Public Library (http://www.phoenixlibraryfriends.org/about-us/aboutus.aspx). Their organization collects books throughout the year to donate to a variety of different groups in the valley. The more I read about them, the more impressed I was. I want to collect books for them; lots and lots of books.

Once again, My Dear Trash is asking readers and followers to turn their trash into something special. If you have any new or gently-used books, any age or genre is fine, that you were planning to throw out or donate, I’d like to ask that you set them aside for this event.

Image found here.

The My Dear Trash book drive starts April 1, 2010 and ends on Earth Day. I’ll keep you posted on drop-off sites, but for now just set them aside and tell your family and friends to do the same. If you don't live in the Phoenix area, plan on donating your gently used books to your local library. Tell them it's in honor of Earth Day and keep the momentum going.

Mother Earth and all her children will love you for it.