Original Tips 21-24

This week, the Pelicans Fly, and our River is high. Islands dotting the depts of the river are watered over, and the slough area that was dry ground threatens to cover the trees growing in it. It has been an interesting news week, with major First Amendemnt Issues and Eighth Amendment issues regarding the death penalty. We contintue to have a very cold spring after a few unseasonaly warm days. Our hearts go out to those hit by the floods and seemingly endless tornadoes. Our flowers locally are just peeking out. I nearly swooned at the riot of color showing in our local grocery. The geraniums and dark red lilies look especially nice. Read below the next few original tips. Be safe, and heed the strom warnings when they come. 21. Teach about archaeology trough magazines like Archaeology, Civilization, National Geographic, and Smithsonian. Encourage kids to collect a library of these materials, and help them to organize it. They will be constantly reading and gain a respect for earth. 22. Teach children to respect animals and wildlife. If they have a favorite stuffed animal, like an elephant, have them study elephants and thei9r evolution, their role in literature and culture, where they live. The more familiar we are with something like this, and the more we come to love it, the less likely we are to abuse it or ignore it. Do the same with human culture. Encourage children to learn bout people from around the world by having them read folk tales, literature, listening to music, participating in ethnic crafts, collecting ethnic artifacts. Folk Dolls and foreign dolls are a good way to introduce all children to different cultures. Those with their own collections should learn about them and then go on the road, offering to display and lecture on them. 23. Volunteer when you can at community cleanups, book fairs, botanical centers, museums of all types, libraries, Earth Day celebrations. Teach children not to waste, but to share and to trade where possible. See the onsite community areas for barter. 24. When re-gifting and homemade gifts are good. Teach the spirit of gift giving and holidays; commercialism has been an issue since the first Christmas. Read Christmas and holiday stories and lore to see how such greed and commercialism are combated through the last two millennia. Also, you can see how people celebrated in historical times of economic adversity like War, Depression, and famine. You might be surprised at how happy and meaningful some of these celebrations can be.