Why Things Are ~ Donald B. Kraybill

"We forget to ask why things are the way they are... Children quickly learn common cultural values and take them for granted. Cereal becomes the "right" breakfast food. Socialization - learning the ways of our culture - shapes the assumptions by which we live. We take our way of life for granted. We assume the way things are is the way we ought to be. Eating cereal for breakfast, day after day, makes it seem unquestionably right. We internalize the values and norms paraded on the screen and billboard as simply "the way life is"... The values, beliefs, and norms of our society become so ingrained in our mind that we no longer see the alternatives.

~ Donald B. Kraybill

More at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Kraybill

Artwork from Arthur Rackham

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Rackham

A Tree ~ Louise Dickinson Rich

“A house you can rebuild; a bridge you can restring; a washed-out road you can fill in. But there is nothing you can do about a tree, but mourn.”

~ Louise Dickinson Rich

More at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Dickinson_Rich

Artwork from Nat Morley

https://www.natmorley.co.uk/portfolio.php

Affirmative Action ~ Anthony T. Hincks

“Money will not save the environment. It will only end up going into the deep pockets of those people in charge. Affirmative action needs to be taken. Get rid of the greedy corporations and individuals. Go back to grass root living. Start being responsible for what you do and don't do. If I miss out on some commodities or so called needed items in life, so be it. I would rather that my children grow up in a beautiful world without wars and pollution than have them wake up gasping for breath only to find that there is no clean water to drink and no clean air to breath.”


~Anthony T. Hincks

More at

 https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/HincksAnthony

Artwork from Billy Jacobs

http://www.billyjacobs.com/

City Forests ~Robert Hart

"Obviously, few of us are in a position to restore the forests.. But tens of millions of us have gardens, or access to open spaces such as industrial wastelands, where trees can be planted. And if full advantage can be taken of the potentialities that are available even in heavily built up areas, new "city forests" can arise..."

~Robert Hart

More at 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Hart_%28horticulturist%29

Artwork from Thomas Kincade

https://thomaskinkade.com/

Commitment ~Arthur Gish

"Simplicity also involves commitment. To be committed one does not need to be famous or accomplish great feats. Faithfulness in small things is the basis of great achievements. Many are unfaithful not because they are unconcerned about big issues and causes, but because they neglect little things. Those who cannot be trusted in little things can also not be trusted in larger things.

Follow the little light that G_d has already given, but do not expect more light until you follow what you have."

~Arthur Gish

More at  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Gish

Artwork from Valeriane Leblond

 https://www.valeriane-leblond.eu/home.html

Pending Storm ~ Gert

"Honestly, it reminds me of raising kids – and family struggles. How many times we’ve begged and pleaded, tried one method or another, and continued to find a child (or several of them) uncooperative and determined to win the draw. Some of us tiptoe around our kids, doing whatever we can not to “set them off” so they won’t be upset with us. Sometimes we ignore a pending storm, hoping if we ignore it, it will simply go away.  Sometimes we try to confront the problem, but find the way we handled it only made things worse. There’s a way to handle kids in that pouting or belligerent mode, and that’s to “reset” them. I used to do this with our kids, and I’ve done it with foster kids. Most times, it works like a charm......... Sometimes we as adults could stand some “resetting” ourselves. Even our marriages can benefit from this! To reset is to simply shut things down and wait until all the wires and sparks are completely cooled off. When there are no sparks, there won’t be heat.  If there’s no heat, there won’t be a fire. When the fire is out, it’s safe to resume."

~ Gert

More at https://mywindowsill.com/

Artwork from Gustave Baumann

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Baumann

Resting Easy ~Joel Salatin

“Food security is not in the supermarket. It's not in the government. It's not at the emergency services division. True food security is the historical normalcy of packing it in during the abundant times, building that in-house larder, and resting easy knowing that our little ones are not dependent on next week's farmers' market or the electronic cashiers at the supermarket.”

~ Joel Salatin

More at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Salatin

Artwork from Kristine Kainer  https://www.kristinekainer.com/