From the Heart

My excuse: a crazy, busy, bustling, “retired” life

Posted on by Jean Campbell

  "Where the hell have you been?" my garden and the SGS blog both asked. I put in my last day of employment over a year ago, but when I set my sights on retirement from my "day job", sitting back and relaxing was far from the plan. In this next phase of my life, I will have plenty of time to garden while I finally pursue the career path I chose some 44 years ago: creating and selling art. After I wrapped up my professional responsibilities, I gave myself six months to develop a... Continue reading

A Valentine’s Day pondering on empathy

Posted on by Jean Campbell

He can't take it away. He can try to erase history, but we will remember. He can try to discourage us, but we will persevere. He will try to be all-powerful, but we will dissent. He can try to silence us, but we will talk. We will write songs and stories in which he will not be the hero. The stories will be of the dystopian leader who tried to change the past and own the future, but he will forever be remembered as foolish, cruel, and greedy. The heroes will be those who refused to follow, who... Continue reading

An American Hero

Posted on by Jean Campbell

  When I hear of someone passing away in their 80's, my automatic response usually goes something like this, "Oh, so young." And then I remember, that's actually quite a bit older than the average age of death. My father, Lieutenant Colonel Julian Richard Campbell, died last Monday. He lived to 103. The survivor Dad thought of himself as a survivor, and you'd be hard-pressed to argue the point. On one occasion, as a pilot in the US Air Force, he navigated his Martin B-26 Marauder... Continue reading

Grace

Posted on by Jean Campbell

  I've been dabbling in this Spread Good Stuff business for years. Its focus has always been to contribute to the sustainable living movement, in particular; I strive to come up with and detail simple changes that are easy to accomplish... because living sustainably is not always easy, not when you've grown, learned, and live in the one-use, throw-away, convenience culture. Even folks I know that believe firmly in environmental science and the need for conservation are often not fully... Continue reading