“Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.” — Plato
I’ve got to tell you, I’m in a funk. Not one of those hide under the blankets and only come out for Chips Ahoy and milk kind of funks, but a funk nonetheless. Let’s call it a mild funk, shall we? Nothing for you to worry about, but it did help remind me one of the reasons I started the Monday Ripples in the first place: to give inspiration and motivation.
We’re all starting the week out and need to focus on our mutual task of making the world a better place. Here are some things that I’ve found inspiring recently. If you find something, please share it. Maybe you can help me turn this mild funk around!
Roam, If You Want To
Walk Score
Can you walk to things in your neighborhood? A bar? A grocery store? A gym? I can where I live and it’s one of the reasons I live there. I think more and more people are thinking in terms of boroughs these days, and Mother Nature is thanking us for it. “Enough with the sprawl, you damn kids!” Put your address into this site and it will give you a walkability rating for your home or a home you’re considering. A gentle word of warning that the site is working out kinks, but it is a great tool regardless.
Trees Are Cool
Tree & Care Design
I love trees. Just love them. When I see a tree that someone has carved initials into, I turn into a total hippie and place my hand on it and psychically apologize to it. Well, there you go, my little do-gooders, I’ve never told anyone I do that. We’re becoming such good friends through this blog, aren’t we? The first time I heard about treehugging, I thought it was kind of crazy, but then I tried it on a redwood in Northern California and, for reasons I’ll never be able to explain – or want to, it felt fantastic.
Anyway, my love of trees explains my support of the Arbor Day Foundation and all the cool work they do. They’ve just launched this new blog which gives you tips on caring for trees and wisely designing your landscapes. Now I know you think you know what you’re doing already, and who the hell needs the Arbor Day Foundation telling you what to do in your own yard, but take a look. Designs to help keep deer out of your yard, designs to attract birds…it’s helpful stuff!
Ebony & Ivory
Play Me – I’m Yours
Something about this project really massages my imagination. Imagine walking through a park or down the street and you happen upon a piano. What would you do? UK artist Luke Jerram has been leaving pianos around like this in different cities in the world since 2008. Each piano entices the passerby with a sign reading: Play Me – I’m Yours. It seems the most wonderful things can happen around these pianos — people coming together, people being creative, people simply getting a smile. Take a look at the video below showing a pianist giving an impromptu concert at one in the morning on one of Jerram’s London installations.
