My secret thrill

OK, I'll admit it there's a certain household chore that gives me a secret thrill even if the words "household chore" and "thrill" seem to be an oxymoron. No I don't get ecstatic over the smell of clean laundry (although we do have a friend who makes his own laundry soap and that makes HIM happy .http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/make-your-own-laundry-soap.html in case you're wondering.)( And it's no secret that the sight of a finally empty laundry hamper DOES makes me feel glad and relieved.) Vacuum lines don't do anything for me (we once lived in a shack with a deteriorating plywood floor that only needed to be shop vacced. Every time I vacuumed part of the floor would splinter and go into the vacuum's bucket.) I don't think my children even know that beds can be made. If cleanliness is next to Godliness (English proverb by the way NOT biblical and besides I like Pigpen's version better "cleanliness is next to impossible) then it's a good thing my family is secure in their salvation. Little Miss Teen once had a teacher who told her that God likes things decent and orderly. Good thing Jesus loves me this I know..........

The chore that I secretly like doing is.........(drum roll please) RECYCLING! I am soooooooo not an environmentalist. I once wrote a paper called "Chop down all the trees you want, we'll plant more." What can I say? reforestation is a good thing and I lived in a region that was supported by timber dollars. Maybe it's because we live in an area that doesn't recycle very much: newspapers, glass, metal cans, plastics #1 and 2 only. The worlds best parents on the other hand live in the best region of the world where of course EVERYTHING is recyclable. Here finding plastics that are recyclable is sort of like a treasure hunt for me. WE NOW PAUSE TO THINK ABOUT HOW PATHETIC MY LIFE IS! Turns out that some microwavable food trays are recyclable. I get really excited when I see the tiny little numbers on my shampoo and conditioner and realize that they too can go in the recycling bag. Boo! Hiss! to things like yogurt containers that are frequently a #5. I think it's because while many other chores are overwhelming; did I mention I have 2 small kids? and who am I kidding, some days LIFE is just overwhelming to me, rinsing out a jar, taking the label off and putting it in a blue bag is something I feel I can handle.

I also get a kick out of making meals that involve a large number of cans or jars knowing that it's all recyclable. And apparently I'm not the only one: Stephanie O'Dea in her amazing blog "A year of slow cooking" http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ has a great recipe for The original taco Soup. She points out that there are a lot of cans and you should recycle and make Al Gore happy. http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/02/original-taco-soup-crockpot-recipe.html. The Canadian contingent is wondering who Al Gore is and why they should care that he's happy? Who cares, like I said putting all those cans in the bag makes ME happy, and right now I'll take happiness wherever I can get it from.

The good news here is that we have curb side recycling. The bad news is that it all has to be put in specific blue bags. I covet those bags. Pricier grocery stores use them as their grocery bags but since I shop at the cheaper store where you have to supply your own bags therefore blue bags are kind of rare to me. I get really mad when I see people using my coveted blue bags to tote lunches around or line trash bins. Yes you can BUY boxes of the blue bags but that would defeat the point of being frugal.

In Asia all trash had to go in specific bags as well. Of the 1 zillion cultural rules they had that was one of the few I followed (except for when I was too lazy to which is the case for most rules). They were green I think. And as I recall you could buy them off the shelf at larger grocery stores but in the smaller markets they were only sold behind the counter; therefore you had to ask for them. Well....... obviously I didn't ASK for anything. I just kept a garbage bag in my backpack and pulled it out and pointed when I needed more. Brief "discussion" on the size that I wanted and I was good to go.

For a couple of years we lived in a neighborhood in this city where my recycling was frequently stolen. I guess they were after the cans? That was the same neighborhood where grocery carts from the drug store around the corner would often get stolen then abandoned in the street. Somehow I appointed myself the neighborhood cart vigilante and would yell at kids if I caught them in the act then I would walk the cart back to the drugstore. Little Miss Teen once cringed at me yelling at the boys and I made her walk the cart back with me. My name means "defender of man" although the context of that had better mean "mankind" not "male gender" because right now there's a man in my life who I most certainly DON'T want to defend. Big shout out to my family MY MARRIAGE IS FINE IT'S NOT HIM! Actually I think that Huggyband is relieved that I'm mad at somebody who ISN'T him for a change. Turns out that having a common antagonist has brought us closer together; hey, cheaper than couples counselling. Annnnnnnnnnyyways, I guess I defend mankind and defend grocery carts. Sounds like I need a superhero cape for that.

That's me, Cassie Canuck a defender of grocery carts who gets a secret thrill out of recycling. What superhero cape are YOU wearing today?