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That new Playstation game will have to wait a few more months. . .

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We’ve all been there. . . when life is like a Country song and there’s “too much month at the end of the money.” What I like about this strip is the priorities. . . charity before “mad money. . . ” others before self. Todd may be upset at the balance in his “mad money” account. . . but it’s inspiration and motivation to do more as we’ll see very soon in The Green House.

My favorite writings about money- and self-value are in Dan Millman’s “Everyday Enlightenment- The Twelve Gateways to Personal Growth.” I remember reading the book back in 2007 and loving every bit of it and making an internal pact that I would follow these writings and embrace the Twelve Gateways. . . except for the Fourth one- because I didn’t have much money and was just “getting by.” I obviously needed a kick in the “gateways,” because it’s all there, even for those who have nothing financially. . . I just wasn’t in a place to align with these teachings. Millman opens the chapter with this:

The Fourth Gateway~ Manage Your Money

“Money is neither god nor devil, but a form of energy. Like love or fear, it can serve you or bind you, depending how you manage it.

By clarifying your goals and using your gifts, you can make good money, doing what you enjoy while serving the highest calling of your soul.

Using money wisely, and well, you increase the material and spiritual wealth with your world.”

Pam obviously has learned these lessons well. . .  I’m still in “Todd-ville.”  Yes, I’m re-reading
“Everyday Enlightenment” this month! :0)

Do you recall a moment in your life where you had that revelation that you could be doing more, not necessarily working harder, but working smarter and opening yourself to be more. . . to receive more? Share your thoughts and stories. . . someone at the Green House is waiting to be inspired today! As always, the conversation is always happening on our Facebook page. . .

My very fiber. . .

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Yes, I’m a tree hugger. I feel at home in the woods. I feel the connection to all creation. It’s here I feel my spirituality and my sense of soul. Some people get it from church. . . The forest is my temple. It’s the high reaching branches that stretch for the sun. . . the nutrient seeking roots that anchor us in the past and connect us in the heart of the earth. . . the moss and lichen that feeds from us and teaches us to share of ourselves . . . and the constant humbling organic smell of composting that tells us we are all part of a great purpose.

I respect trees and all of life. Perhaps they notice us too.

Writing, The Waltons and Free Range Women. . .

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Looking at a carton of free range eggs one morning, I started to think about Pam &  Todd making breakfast together. . . and this came to mind.  It’s simple- it’s a small moment in a morning that sets the tone for the whole day, and it’s honest. What more could I ask for? Honesty is one of the things I strive for most in my writing and one of the greatest gifts I can receive when it emerges. It’s the thing I look for in and treasure in other writers and story tellers. . . it’s what I loved about some of my favorite TV shows growing up. . . The Andy Griffith Show, Little House On The Prairie and The Waltons- probably the show that inspired me the most. I loved how the show was told through John Boy’s writing. . . looking back, telling the stories and bringing that amazing family to life for us all.

This comic pulled together Pam & Todd as a couple for me- like the tender moments I loved in the Waltons. And especially the moments that caught me off guard. . .like when late at night, John and Liv would be in bed talking about the troubles of the day and sorting it all out. . . and then they kinda got. . . frisky? Yeah, frisky. How did I think all those Walton kids got there anyway?  And occasionally there would be a moment when Grandpa started getting frisky with Grandma. . . and she’d slap him playfully. You never know when those hormones will take over!

When I create characters and write for them, I have to believe in them and know them. . . know what they’d say, know what they’d do. . . know them like family. . . And laugh when they surprised me or maybe even got “frisky.”  This strip made me laugh when it spilled out on to my pad. Channeling my inner Earl Hamner, Jr. maybe, and letting the “frisky” moments happen.

Thank you Earl for the inspiration and creating a show that was honest, enduring, loving and down-to-earth. It’s what I strive for in my work.

(Here’s a Youtube video from the Waltons Final Goodnight, with some of the most beautiful prose Earl Hamner Jr. ever wrote- and naturally it’s about the mountain, the sky, the wind,  the earth, and the family. )

“Goodnight, Elizabeth.”

Be Conscious and Chew Your Words Slowly. . .

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“Kwin-oh-ah.”

What is this kwinoah stuff? OHH!. . . That’s the KEEN-WAH stuff you’ve been talking about? Funny way to spell it, Q-U-I-N-O-A. . . .  Now, who is the authority on how to pronounce this new sweetener, STEEEEEVia? Anybody want to meet me at Cheee-poe-tlay for lunch? I’m not even going NEAR Ah-sigh-eeeee. . . .

Not only is learning to eat healthier good for your body, it’s wonderful for your vocabulary . . . although potentially hazardous to your ego. . . briefly. It seems like we are beginning to get more adventurous with our eating, and opening ourselves to trying new, exotic and foreign foods, but there awaits the ever-present and ominous choking hazard. . . choking on a mis-pronunciation. Even when you listen to an expert in the culinary field, you may switch to another channel and hear the same word pronounced a little differently. I did a google search on “How To Pronounce Chipotle” and here’s what I got. . .

But, wait. . .

At a party this weekend, I heard 3 different pronunciations of “chipotle.” Two of them were total wrecks: “chipoltay” and “chiploatlay.”

We’ve apparently had this problem as a nation for quite a while. ” Tom-ay-to, Tom-ah-to. . . Poh-tay-to, poh-tah-to,” let’s call the whole thing, fun.

I’m no expert on vegan cooking, but this strip came from watching an episode of “Christina Cooks,” with our friends, Christina Pirello and her musical accompanist, Jon Michaels. Jon commented that he was willing to try what Christina cooked, but he was still a “steak and potato guy,” mostly because he couldn’t remember the names of half the stuff she cooked.

At the Green House, Pam is a vegan and Todd is just an average guy who grew up on the “Great American diet” (of somewhat disasterous food). Pam respects Todd’s dietary choices, but is trying to bring him along slowly to a healthier way of organic, clean eating. Sure, we could just make Todd love all the stuff that Pam eats and advocate a healthy diet- but that’s not the reality for most of us. It’s a slow process, an interesting, exciting adventure. And it’s also funny! We like funny, we need funny. We need to keep it real, laugh at ourselves and be willing to make mistakes along the way. It will help that Pam is a Special Ed teacher. She’ll need a lot of patience with Todd.

What was the last funny food moment you had, the last great foodie revelation, the last time you looked at the veggie isle in a health food store and asked yourself, “what the heck is a jicama or whatever new foreign food that caught your eye?”   (It’s “Hee-com-ah”. . .  I think. . .     ;0) )

A Lot of Bull? . . .

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My daughter, Carly is a Taurus and this comic represents her to a Taurus “T.” She’s typically interested in things like Horoscopes, but the first one to call “BS” when she sees it. I used to like reading my horoscope (Scorpio) when I was younger. . . and I’m a believer in Astrology, but I find that newspaper Horoscopes often left me thinking, “huh?” Kind of like fortune cookies, they are a neat little novelty to get you thinking, which is also a positive mental trigger.

Today’s comic came from a real life moment, and my response. Here’s Pam’s actual online horoscope for today: “This isn’t a good time to climb up on soapboxes. People are watching out for any signs of pomposity, and may have even brought some rotten tomatoes to hurl at unsuspecting pedagogues.”

I had to look it up. . . pedagogues are by definition, teachers. Don’t throw any tomatoes at your teachers today non-Taurusians. . . totally unnecessary. Wait till tomorrow and see what your horoscope says, maybe something like, “it’s a good time to mend fences, apologize for any rotten tomatoes you may have thrown yesterday.”

For Pam’s sake, I’ll listen to the horoscope and not try to make any profound statements about horoscopes. I also just put some rotten, well, soft and shriveled grape tomatoes into my worm composter, so pedagogues, relax. . . I will say that everyday is a chance to write your own destiny, your own plan, your own tomorrow. You determine your ‘scope!

Do you have any good horoscope stories? Share them hear or on our Facebook page. As always, that’s where we can really have a great open discussion!

Oh, deer. . . she knows me tooooo well!

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Is it just me?  I find I cry at almost any movie or slightly sentimental moment lately. I am emotional with song lyrics. I smile at the smiley moments of almost every Facebook post or happy Youtube video. . .    My nephew was asking me about my most emotional movies and I basically said, “all of them.”  I don’t remember being so easy to stir emotionally when I was younger. . . maybe I was tougher or perhaps cared more about trying not to cry? I think I’ve gotten older and just “let it go.” It feels good to be moved by the moment. . . even some of the cheesy Hallmark Channel movies my wife watches get me. Are there movies or songs that make you cry EVERYTIME? The end of “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a no-doubter for me. Do you think you’ve become an easy Weep Target as you’ve grown older?  Sniff. . . . it’s so beautiful to experience all this amazing emotion!

Vegetables On The Brain. . .

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“Pick up these vegetables, please”, she said.

But I knew her words I’d soon forget,

So I pictured the vegetables on my head.

Where they’ll stay till I reach the Green Mark-et.

Then one by one, I’ll take them down.

And pick out a match with discerning care,

In a few short ticks I’d have them all,

Lest I lose a radish in my hair. . .

. . . again.  

A poem for fans of visual memorization. . . . help me think of a title for it, please?

 

Plants are people too!

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Nothing quite like the first spring breeze, the sun shining on your leaves and the warmth on your soil. Water me, set me outside and watch me grow. If it’s a bright, beautiful day where you are, don’t forget your fine fronded friends.  .  .  they’ve had a looong winter too!

Perfect Form Friday

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I’m showing you all this Sunday strip from 2007 for two reasons. . .

1. How bad my writing can be. . .   and 2. How tremendous Peter’s drawing can be.

This is not the worst strip I’ve ever “approved” and finished, but it represents perfectly those times as a writer when you’re “real close, but still far away.”  The basic idea that Todd’s physicality is badly lagging behind Pam’s get’s across, but there’s something not quite right about how it’s presented IMHO. I liked it well enough back when it was composed and sketched out- but it hasn’t stood the test of time for me. I know it’s hard for you all to believe, but I’m not always brilliantly funny and clever. Not so  hard to believe?

Seriously, what I LOVE about this strip is how Peter drew it. . . drew Pam in the background and then interwove her perfect yoga poses into Todd’s slow-paced sit up. He saved the strip with the depth of his caring about the art and connection to character.

Below is a larger version of the strip if you want to click on it and study it more closely. I love doing that with Peter’s stuff. . .

Have a great weekend and see you back on Monday at the Green House!

Monday, Punday. . .

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Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. . . create power from moonlight?  Not likely anytime soon, but the idea shone like a lighthouse beacon toward a really good pun. What I like about this strip is connection to the characters that we get in the small moment in time it captures in the life of the Greens. Beyond the attempt at humor, we see that Todd’s reading his favorite blog, Link’s Underground. . . Pam’s doing yoga and you see the small, intimate space they share. To me, the “atmosphere” of the strip is as essential as the words. . . it brings you in and sets the scene, creates familiarity and comfort. This is where they live, it’s where they relate and we’re getting a sneak peek in. This week, we’re focusing on just that- establishing the setting, getting inside the Green House, which as the strip starts out, is a small apartment in Barely Green, USA. . . I just made that up. . . Anywhere, USA is overused and suffering from economic depression I’m told. Even the dentists there are having to get creative to make ends meet!

I love the molar panel idea though. . . if there’s no sun where you are- get out and suck up the moon beams and let that energy carry you till morning. Enjoy the day, enjoy the sunshine if there’s any where you are -and if not, store up all the moonshine you can! Uh . . . make that moon light!

And NO Asbestos in the Brake Pads!

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*Welcome back to the Green House!

Let’s get reacquainted with the family. . . At the computer is Pam Green, at the TV is Todd Green. The Green’s are a 20-something couple. Pam’s a Special Ed teacher (& yoga instructor) and Todd’s a cartoonist. . . There’s a group of critters you’ll also be getting to know: Mantis, Link (a liberal blogging rat), Honeybee ( A holistic healer) and Wormy- a little worm who dreams of saving the world as “Earthworm! The World’s Most Down-to-Earth Superhero!” Nothing new and unusual here. . .

Actually, if you look at today’s comic closely, you’ll see that Pam’s web search brought her to Link’s Underground- the rat’s web page. Well, who do you think writes the stuff on Wikipedia?

Over the next few months we’ll be introducing you to the whole cast with new comics, three days a week: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday– along with our blog. On Thursday we’ll be posting a page from Peter’s Sketchbook.  . . see how our characters and ideas develop from a few strokes of a pencil to more finished concepts- always presented with Peter’s writings and insights.

Friday is GreenHouseGraphics Day! A  new infographic each week that will help keep you smiling as you grow greener with us!

What’s the green message in today’s comic?. . . I’m gonna reach a little here. . . with my toes. . .  If you want to save energy and find greener transportation, you can always “hoof it.” Walking- if you can, is always choice #1. Bike is #2. But what if you just have to use the car? Fred Flintstone had a unique way of combing pedal power with foot fuel . . .  it worked for him and Wilma!

On the left is a neat graphic we found with some simple thoughts on Green Driving Practices. I think the most important way to conserve fuel is to think before you drive. . . save up trips and create a route to be the most economical with your driving. Be conscious of your course and purpose. . . is it REALLY necessary to get that widget today, or can it wait until tomorrow when you’re going to Whole Foods– a block or two from Widget City? Plan a few days of meals and get the most out of the trip to the Green Grocer, even if your original trip was just to get sushi take-out from Golden Panda. . . Take out and tomorrow’s groceries- perfect!

Every “drop” of thought will save many drops of fuel. It all makes a difference. Please share any thoughts you have about saving fuel and driving greener. And please post on our Facebook page. . . it’s where we get down and dirty. . . (dirt as in earth). . . in a green way!

Click here to visit our Facebook Page!

*Why “Welcome back” ?

Well, we started The Green House back in 2007- and we’re reinventing it and sharing with you here eight years later! Read more about the earlier years of The Green House in tomorrow’s blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Brad & Peter