Water update

(Photo - stolen outright from Asher Castillo's blog)

While the petition for the Water for the World gets closer to enough signatures, there are projects that continue to move forward with private funding. I said that I would pass along stories from the front lines and this one is very close to home. My cousin, Asher, is heading to El Salvador this year to build wells for churches. The company that he is going with is called Living Water International. I'm not a religious person, but these guys are doing good work around the world and deserve to be commended. 16% of the population in El Salvador has no access to clean drinking water. Asher has recently tossed his old corporate job and is heading out to apply his talents to help people. That takes guts and I'm so proud to know that one of my relatives is out there making a difference for people. If you want to hear about his travels, check out his blog at http://www.ashercastillo.blogspot.com/

-Charles

Serve Yourself

It's summer time now and to kick it off in style, our new Prez has a little plan he calls United We Serve. Remember that part in the inauguration where he said something about everybody doing their part... If you go to the Serve.gov website you can read all about it. This guy is serious about it too. He's even got our new Energy Secretary Chu out putting together energy efficiency kits in Michigan!

If you're ready to find some way you can help, hit the site and see what is in your skill set and time frame. I checked it out and saw everything from reading to kids (maybe not for me) to replanting natives on spoils islands (that's more like it). There are even volunteer listings for Lowry Park Zoo and the Rays baseball games. I think you'll be surprised by what you can do. Let us know if you get into something and we'll post the stories.

-Charles

Father Earth

It seems we mostly refer to our little blue ball of a planet as Mother Earth. On Father's Day though, I often recall that it was my dad that dragged us out on nature hikes and campouts. Amy's father taught her all about the birds and how to identify them.

Some days it is easy to lose sight of what exactly set us on the path of becoming a nature-loving treehugger. Today I'll thank my dad for introducing me to Mother Earth. Thanks for making me curious and answering all those questions as best you could. Here's a recent shot of my dad doing his best to dazzle me with an explanation of how the weather in Mexico can make a door look like this.
-Charles

Water for the World

Has it really been a month since I've been on the blog?! Summer is here and we've packed in a lot of activities so far. Hopefully you have too!

One thing that is always associated with summer in my book is water. Water parks, swimming pools, slip and slides, and cold cool clean water to drink. Before you head out to drink out of the hose this summer, please take a minute to check out this short video about the water problems we face. This might help you consider getting involved, as we have, with some of the groups and the legislation that are working to get clean water to everyone in the world.

Statistics from the Water for the World campaign...

"4100 -
The number of children that die every day from diarrheal diseases spread through poor sanitation and hygiene. "

"The benefits of improving access to water and sanitation go beyond any one sector, and it is estimated that every $1 spent on water and sanitation generates returns of $8 in saved time, increased productivity and reduced health costs."


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AqlLyLeJuQ

-Charles

Memorial Day Weekend Roundup

Heatwave was awesome! Hope you got to see some of that...Kinobe and Soul Beat Africa were so worth it. Special thanks go out to John Loscalzo of Loko Cuisine for his amazing food and hard work last Friday night at our in-store event! For those of you that missed out, don't worry, we will definitely do another one soon. We had a great time and got to chat with customers and neighbors alike - all within walking distance of our house!

Anika Easter and family were on hand to release her new SecondLine Frames from salvaged New Orleans wood that really bring a lot of color to the shop. Also, she sold a couple of paintings throughout the evening, and we are happy to see her unique style expand throughout the city.

We will be out of town this weekend trying to relax and get our mind off work a little bit. The shop will be open Friday and Saturday without us thanks to our family and friends who are minding it. We will be closed Sunday as we are travelling to South Carolina to visit friends and test out our new tent! Hopefully our camping will be relaxing and dry.

We instituted Summer Hours this last week to give us some time to finish more furniture and some of our custom projects. (We have been tapped to make tables for Ella's Folk Art Restaurant on Nebraska by the awesome Ernie and Melissa!) This means we are closed Monday to Wednesday for a few months, but on the upside, we can get more furniture done and into the shop. As we continue to build custom projects, we learn and grow our abilities. Thanks so much for all the support. As other places are closing, we are happy to say we are hanging in there.

Friday Night Event at Tampa Street Market

Don't forget to RSVP for this Friday's event by Loko Cuisine at the store. We will be open alongside Seminole Heights Antiques from 7:00 to 9:30 pm for a weekend kick-off party.

Pub Crawl Tickets are HERE!!!

Come by the shop to get your passports for tomorrows pub crawl.
Single $10 and 2 for $15--you can't beat that. You get a HARTride complimentary 1-day unlimited ride (public transportation means no driving). Help support the green effort and have a great time!

Paint the Town Green and Back in the Day Events

Upcoming events for Tampa Street Market...

Friday Night May 1st - Paint the Town Green hosted by The Urban Charette -
We are putting together our own crew of mass transit minded partiers. If you love a good pub crawl and like to chat green, join us for a fun night out in Tampa. We are hoping to get a group on the bus in Seminole Heights and head downtown. We haven't picked a meeting place yet, options are Fly Bar, Cafe Hey, or the new Columbia Cafe at The History Center. You can email us with ideas at amy@tampastreetmarket.com Definitely we want to make it to the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts downtown as they are part of the event. Get more details at http://www.ecolutiontampa.com/



Before we start the crawl on Friday, we will be attending an art opening for Lynn Manos at Clayton Galleries at 4105 S. MacDill Ave. from 7-9 pm. If you're interested in seeing an extremely talented artist that currently calls Tampa home, check it out.

Friday Night May 15th, 7-9:30 pm - Back in the Day Bazaar at Tampa Street Market and Seminole Heights Antiques -

Don't miss our first night time event at our new location. Long overdue for a party, Loko Cuisine has put together a delicious menu and drinks so you can chat and shop while you cool down from the week. $15 covers food and drinks with special discounts up to 20% for the night only. See the awesome menu below or learn more at http://www.lokocuisine.com/

$15 Old School Menu with a Twist Includes:

Lipton's French onion dip with balsamic and rosemary, fresh veggies and Ruffles

Country fried chicken salad, green onion, celery, Frank's Red Hot Dressing

Pimento goat cheese sandwich on Wonder bread

Southern style potato salad with curry

Meat loaf, chipotle ketchup, fried onions

Deviled ham, sesame chili mayo

Iceberg wedge, tarragon caper thousand island

Beer, Wine, Soda

Earth Day - This is a Call!

How do you celebrate Earth Day if you are in the Florida House?

Hopefully you voice your opposition to drilling within earshot of our coastline!

From the St. Pete Times -

TALLAHASSEE — In a full-barreled appeal to the House Policy Council, the oil and gas industry persuaded lawmakers to vote, 17-6, along party lines Tuesday for a bill that opens state waters to exploration and taps into new revenues for the state's ailing budget.
The council approved an amendment by Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Orlando, that would lift Florida's ban on oil drilling in state waters and replace it with a plan to allow the governor and Florida Cabinet to seek bidders for exploration and drilling in the Gulf of Mexico between 3 and 10 miles offshore.

Here's the link:
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/article994176.ece

For a reference: The Gandy Bridge is almost 3 miles long, and the distance from the tip of St. Pete to the Hillsborough side where the Skyway bridge ends is around 8 miles... Doesn't seem very far to me.

WARNING! - Rant to follow...

I love how if the economy tanks, the environment gets the bill. All of a sudden, the only way to restart our economy in Florida is to build, build, build where we wouldn't allow before by pushing permits through fast track procedures! Wetlands, who cares? Water restrictions? Not on my green grass! And drill baby, as close as you can. We need that revenue! Let's get those coffers full of oil money cause the environment doesn't pay as much or at all. Unless you count things like tourism, farming, and that silly alternative energy. Alternative energy! Sorry no time for that this session. Oh yeah and sales tax exemptions, not this year - no time. We've only got time for fat walleted special interests to buy us lunch and pay for tea parties. The environment can wait for the next session, can't it?!

Now I suppose is the time to recall that Earth Day is for celebration and for activism. As one of my favorite bands would say( the Fighters of Foo) - "This is a Call!" Let 'em know about it!

Celebrating Earth Day 2009

Tampa’s biggest Earth Day celebration, Earth Day Tampa Bay, was bigger and better than ever when it took over Lowry Park’s Band Shell area on Sunday, April 19, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The family-friendly festival featured exhibitors offering products, information and demonstrations on ways to help you create a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. There were children’s activity areas, live music, food vendors and fun! Headlining this year’s festival was The Nine Volts (www.theninevolts.com). The Cape Canaveral band performs rollicking feel-good Americana- roots rock music at venues across the state and was selected from nearly 40 applicant bands. Above - Groovy Cats and Dogs represent at the Earth Day Celebration - treat the earth and your animals better!

Below - The maker of our tye-died onesie below - Great folks at Sunshine Dye Dream (also did the WMNF tie dyed shirts this fund drive!)



Above - Seminole Heights Community Garden Table - Can You Dig It?!!!

Below - Shari and Danielle from Chi Chi Amor - dressing our kids with recycled and organic designs from Guatemalan artisans.


It's Our Nature - Awesome company and awesome t-shirts, organic and natural dyes.