Thursday, July 18, 2013

Top of the Heap!

The World's Lungs
Monday's Riddle was an effort in conservation, and Lizzy's review of Hoot by Carl Hiaasen gave us an owl's eye view with a story about preservation. Friday, get ready, because the Character Book Club is meeting right here! The DMS will be interviewing Pete and Weasel from the new action- packed middle grade novel Alligators Overhead by C. Lee McKenzie. Saturday, we always enjoy hearing from you on The DMS Wants to Know. Today, we thought we would tell you about two conservation efforts we feel are very important to the well being of the world.

This week's top of the heap: Important Conservation Efforts


Fairday: Considering life and all the amazing things hurling through space right now, I thought I would bring up the idea of conserving our stories. The preservation of our ideas; creativity, mysteries, knowledge, etc... all the parts of us that make us real remains vastly important. I think sharing our stories and passing them on is a wonderful form of conservation- the preservation of the idea of us all; where we come from, who we are, what we thought. So keep reading, keep writing, and keep looking for the magic of the day in your own space. Take a trip to a library; life's sanctuary for books ; ) ~ F

I found this online the other day and loved reading it- 


Artwork: Unknown artist

Swallowed Keys


We locked up our wisdom into our bones
And swallowed the keys
They sank in our rivers of blood
And we forgot the maps
Because we had to forget the mysteries
To keep them safe.
We wove our hair into brooms
And swept over our paths
And then burned the earth with our rage
We didn't teach our children
It was the only way to protect them,
we thought
But in them we planted seeds, seeds and keys
And told them stories and riddles and songs
With no roots, just tangled threads
That would take years to unwind
Just enough time
For the rains to fall again
and put out the fires
For the dams to break
For the rivers to flood
For the paths
to be walked again
For the soil to breathe
And as the old bones crumble
Deep beneath the rubble
We find we've always had the keys
Our stories and our maps
Our paths are revealed to some
And the seeds grow again
The threads are unspun 
And woven again.

~ Amara Bronwyn


Lizzy: There are so many wonderful and amazing places being protected and conserved today. One of my favorite conserved places is national parks. I am thankful for the national parks and the land that was set aside for them. I know there have been many influential people who have helped secure the land for future generations, and Theodore Roosevelt was one president who helped establish 5 national parks and he created the United States Forest Service, which just about doubled the amount of protected forests. Altogether he secured and protected about 230,000,000 acres of land. Wow! I have been to a handful of national parks throughout the United States and each one takes my breath away. The vastness of the land, the colors, foliage, and animals are so rich and vibrant that I feel blessed that these parks will be available to me and to future generations for enjoyment. Visiting the national parks has allowed me to see land formations I have never seen anywhere else, as well as to observe animals in their natural habitat. Protecting nature is a gift that keeps on giving! ~ L


"There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness,that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy and its charm." ~Theodore Roosevelt





14 comments:

  1. Fantastic post, ladies. Loved the poem and that picture of the parrot is gorgeous! Yes we all need to work harder at conserving. I am headed to the library today with my kiddos :)

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    1. Thanks, Heidi! Conserving is so important. Glad you spent some time at the library with your kids. :) ~L and F

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  2. I am also a huge National Parks fan, and a TR fan for his work in establishing them!

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    1. Rebecca- Thank goodness TR established them so that we can all enjoy the beautiful places and varied landscapes. :) ~L

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  3. This makes me think of a project I want to do that involves conserving stories (not mine). Great post.

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    1. Medeia- Glad we were able to remind you of a project that involves conserving stories. So important. I think I will try to conserve some of my grandparents' stories. :) ~L

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  4. Such a wonderful poem! And I love the painting - very Frida Kahlo-ish. :)

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  5. I hadn’t though of stories like that before, but of course, it’s absolutely paramount to conserve words and thoughts.
    Swallowed Keys is beautifully written.
    What a lovely post, so much to think about.

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    1. Barbara- Thanks for stopping by and we are glad we gave you a lot to think about. Conserving words and thoughts is such a big deal. It is amazing to read things that have been written throughout history! :) ~L

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  6. Amazing post! Thank you for sharing. <3 The poem is awesome :)

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    1. Carina- Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the poem too. :) ~F

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  7. Really love the poem! And that's a great shot of half-dome :)

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    1. Thanks, Meradeth! So happy you liked the poem. I took the shot of half-dome when I was at Yosemite. What a beautiful place! :) ~L

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