I’ve been thinking about the people I’m thankful for; the people that have had such a huge influence on the dreams and passions that I hold dear. It’s always been a passion of mine to be a faithful steward to the world we live in and the people in it. As far back as I can remember conserving and living responsibly has been a part of my life. In fact, my parents were probably the ones who influenced me the most in this area. Back before “green” was a hip way to live they were the hippiest non-hippies around. I’ll always be thankful to my parents for teaching me that everything has value and most things that are thrown away aren’t really garbage.

The day my older sister was due to be born my mom was busy canning peaches that some trucker had dumped in the forest on their farm. One year we got our Christmas tree from the local dump because someone had just dumped a load of trees they couldn’t sell. Come to think of it, the dishwasher we used for years and years came from that same dump. My dad cleaned it all up and it was as good as new…well almost new. My parents were always looking for new ways to conserve energy, to grow organically, to reuse what we already had. They lived this way not because it was cool or trendy but because it was the right thing to do. I love them both and will forever be thankful for the amazing examples they have been.

So here’s to you, mom and dad! Thanks, and I can’t wait for all the great veggies from this year’s garden.