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. . .
http://atthegreenhouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/GH_mad_money.jpg273720adminhttp://atthegreenhouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ATG_LogowWormy-Web-300x210.pngadmin2017-07-21 01:01:192025-03-13 16:04:20That new Playstation game will have to wait a few more months. . .
Growing up in Avon, CT, my (step) Dad was an upholsterer. . . he knew everything about tufting, sewing leather, tying springs & stuffing cushions. . . and he learned the trade from his father. He was a whiz at bringing old chairs back to life. . . but he hacked his way through everything else around the house. When something needed to be done, Dad tried. . .then Mom would send us to get Frank, Rene’ or Roy. If something electrical needed fixing, we called Frank next door. Problems with the car?. . . go get Rene’ (also next door on the south side). . . and for EVERYTHING else, we yelled for Roy.
Roy was the gentleman farmer three doors down who seemed to know a little about everything. . . plumbing, farming, woodworking, paint, roofing, fences, trees, tile, town government. . . He was Mr. Yankee-ingenuity. I’m not taking anything away from Frank or Rene’. . . both wonderful, talented, hardworking and generous men, but Roy had an air of mystique about him. Quiet, gentle and good-natured, he had the barn, the tractor and a smart wife, Edna. Roy was the guy Frank and Rene’ called when they needed something.
I was so fortunate to be in a neighborhood with three wonderful neighbors who were always there for us. . . and I’ve always held their images to be what I’d like to be as an adult. We often need help, advice, an extra hand or just the smile of a neighbor. . . good people who will be there for you. We created Roy as Todd & Pam’s neighbor to fill those big workboot style shoes. . . and also give him a sagely sense of humor. He’ll always be there for them. . . and us. . . although, in our new version of The Green House (debuting later this summer), we may be changing his name from Roy to . . .
Sorry, that’s our little teaser- and another good story for another day!
Who was your “Roy?” Convince us we need to consider your former (or current) neighbor as a next-door-guru for the Greens! Comment here or on our Facebook page where the conversation’s always happening.
http://atthegreenhouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/GH052715.jpg274720adminhttp://atthegreenhouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ATG_LogowWormy-Web-300x210.pngadmin2017-06-26 01:01:442025-03-13 15:59:52Let’s Hear It For The Roys! . . .
Sometimes real life writes the strips . . . in those situations, it isn’t always funny. Fortunately, I don’t mind bringing home a plastic bag every once in a while. I find uses for them around the house, or I fill a plastic bag with plastic bags (anybody else have a special place for that plastic bag full of plastic bags?), and bring them back to the store for recycling every couple of months or so. I also find uses for paper bags at home, so those work too. . . but why can’t I just remember to grab the cloth shopping bags whenever I go into a store?
It’s not just the grocery store. . . I bought a new pair of jeans last night and got to the checkout line, and thought, “Why didn’t you bring in a shopping bag?” I carried the jeans au-naturel. It’s probably just my scatter-brained nature. I’ve tried putting them in the front seat so I won’t forget them. . . I’ve tried putting the shopping list in a bag . . . that one works if I can remember to do it- at least I don’t end up in the shopping line without the bags. . . and now some markets have signs on the door or in the parking lot reminding us to grab our reusable bags. . . but you have to be conscious to notice them.
I’m sure I’ll get it someday, but in the meantime, I’ll always think of this strip when I’m walking back to the truck for my bags. If only they could talk?. . . . Ah ha! Sensors in the shopping bag connected by Bluetooth to an app on your phone that set off an alarm if you get more than 10 feet away from them! Or, I could just make sure I only go shopping with my wife, she always remembers.
It’s probably just a “cartoonist thing.” What are your secrets for remembering your shopping bags? Any good bag related stories? We’d love to hear them and share them with other “cartoonist minded” folks! Please leave your story in the comments below or as always, we have the best conversations on our FB page!
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!
http://atthegreenhouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GH_030315.jpg270720adminhttp://atthegreenhouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ATG_LogowWormy-Web-300x210.pngadmin2017-05-19 01:01:572025-03-13 15:51:22A Lot of Bull? . . .
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!
http://atthegreenhouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GH_033115.jpg276720adminhttp://atthegreenhouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ATG_LogowWormy-Web-300x210.pngadmin2017-05-10 01:35:492025-03-13 15:46:29Oh, deer. . . she knows me tooooo well!
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?
http://atthegreenhouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GH_021815.jpg267723adminhttp://atthegreenhouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ATG_LogowWormy-Web-300x210.pngadmin2017-05-08 01:01:042025-03-13 15:46:08Vegetables On The Brain. . .
Who’s old enough to remember “The Secret?” It was THE Self-help mega-hit back in 2006-2007. . . Here’s some Wikifact material:
The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne was released in DVD format in March 2006. The tenet of the film and book is that the universe is governed by a natural “law” called the law of attraction which is said to work by attracting into a person’s life the experiences, situations, events, and people that “match the frequency” of the person’s thoughts and feelings. From this, the book argues that thinking positively can create life-changing results such as increased wealth, health, and happiness.
The book is very much influenced by Wallace Wattles‘ 1910 book The Science of Getting Rich,[2] which Byrne received from her daughter during a time of personal trauma in 2004.[3][4] Byrne read and synthesized several classic books and the words of modern-day teachers who spoke about ancient wisdom and the ways for people to attract what they desire into their lives.[citation needed] The book includes many quotes from these people.
After being featured in two episodes of The Oprah Winfrey Show, the book reached the top of the New York Times bestseller list, where it remained for 146 consecutive weeks. The book has been translated into 44 languages,[5] and has over 21 million copies in print.[6] Thanks in big part to the appearance in the Oprah TV show, the book and film have grossed $300 million in sales, according to a January 15, 2009 article by Forbes.[7]
The Secret posits that the law of attraction is a natural law which determines the complete order of the universe and of our personal lives through the process of “like attracts like”. The author claims that as we think and feel, a corresponding frequency is sent out into the universe that attracts back to us events and circumstances on that same frequency. For example, if you think angry thoughts and feel angry, it is claimed that you will attract back events and circumstances that cause you to feel more anger. Conversely, if you think and feel positively, you will attract back positive events and circumstances. Proponents of the law claim that desirable outcomes such as health, wealth, and happiness can be attracted simply by changing one’s thoughts and feelings.
The book begins by introducing and explaining the mechanisms of the law of attraction, then goes on to describe its historical applications and the great men and women in history who are claimed to have harnessed its power. The book describes the law as a magnetic power emitted through one’s thoughts. The power of thoughts is likened to a transmission tower that sends out a frequency to the universe and then returns the same frequency in a physical or elemental form.
Next, a three-step creative process for manifesting dreams is introduced: Ask (visualize in the film), Believe, and Receive. This creative process is based on a quote from the Bible:[10] “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”. (Matthew 21:22
The Secret highlights gratitude and visualization as the two most powerful processes to help manifest one’s desires. It asserts that being grateful both lifts your frequency higher and affirms that you believe you will receive your desire. Visualization is said to help focus the mind to send out the clearest message to the universe. Several techniques are given for the visualization process, as well as examples of people claimed to have used it successfully to manifest their dreams. Wikepedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_%28book%29
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So. . . this is the big Secret? Conceptually, it’s spot on. . . why was it so successful? Great marketing. You see, these concepts aren’t anything new. If you read through the description above, you’ll remember that Byrne reintroduced many concepts she derived from Wallace Wattles’ 1910 book The Science of Getting Rich. An even older influence is the quote above from the Bible,“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”. (Matthew 21:22). . . Ask, believe and receive. . . ask in prayer or meditation, visualize by living in the positive energy of gratitude and receive, the manifestation of your dreams. Old stuff, repackaged, but still great material to study.
Now, what’s the big Secret I want you to take away from this reading? . . Recycle. Reuse. Repurpose.
There’s SO much great material out there that’s “old,” aka tried and true. I’ve found amazing books and self-help CD’s in the swap shack, at yard sales, on eBay. There’s really no need to go out and pay hundreds of dollars for the “hot new program.” If a book from 1910 energized Rhonda Byrne, it can certainly energize you. Example: Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich,” first published in 1937 gave motivation and guidance to Jim Rohn, who mentored Anthony Robbins who. . . well, all three have been an inspiration to me. I’ve purchased $1,000 programs on eBay for $29. I bought a copy of “Think and Grow Rich” for $2.98 NEW at Barnes and Noble. Almost all of the best self-help material in the world can be borrowed for $0 from your Public Library. I even found myself re-reading Susan Powter’s “Stop the Insanity” last week, and you know what? . . . it’s still relevant, inspiring and vibrant! It just needs repackaging for a new market. Still great advice: Stop the insanity. . . find the old stuff and take it in. . . “Seat of The Soul,” by Gary Zukov, “The Way of the Peaceful Warrior,” by Dan Millman, “Season’s of Life” by Jim Rohn. . .
What old treasure chest of wealth, knowledge and inspiration would you recommend? What book, DVD , CD or movie changed your life? Share your thoughts here or on our Facebook page where we have the forum for awesome, life-changing discussion. Or, you could just e-mail us. . . Just don’t keep “it” a “secret.”
Here’s a re-packaged video of Jim Rohn lecturing on the seasons. . . hip new music, visuals. . . slightly annoying echo element. . .
http://atthegreenhouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/GH_030415.jpg270720adminhttp://atthegreenhouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ATG_LogowWormy-Web-300x210.pngadmin2015-08-26 01:01:212025-03-13 15:33:29Help yourself to some well-aged advice. . . and share YOUR secret . .
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!
http://atthegreenhouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/GH_exercise_sm.jpg354720adminhttp://atthegreenhouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ATG_LogowWormy-Web-300x210.pngadmin2015-08-07 11:09:452025-03-13 15:28:48Perfect Form Friday
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!
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!
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
http://atthegreenhouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/GH_2020915.jpg268720adminhttp://atthegreenhouse.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ATG_LogowWormy-Web-300x210.pngadmin2015-06-17 06:16:162025-03-13 14:05:40And NO Asbestos in the Brake Pads!
