Being QueenEarth doesn’t start and end when I step on and off a stage. I learned a lot on my Farmer’s Market Tour. With gardening and my business, this whole thing is a lifestyle. I don’t forget about food quality when I’m shopping vs making homegrown cuisine. As I pick the last tomatoes and peppers from our garden, I’m reflecting on all that I’ve learned from this season’s harvest. Don’t waste opportunity. One day of not picking the garden could end up in a wasted branch, overgrown, overripe, or over enjoyed by the pests and vermin. But I guess, even the bugs have to eat. Even my “failures” and mistakes are not without repercussion.

“The single greatest lesson the garden teaches is that our relationship to the planet need not be zero-sum, and that as long as the sun still shines and people still can plan and plant, think and do, we can, if we bother to try, find ways to provide for ourselves without diminishing the world. ”
― Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

The next time I see red peeking thought the tomato bushes, I go outside to grab it. I make sure I seize each moment. I accept the smallest gifts and appreciate them. Share them. Be thankful. I never have to be without a teachable moment. How else can I make a positive impact and share my lessons?

QueenEarth. Adult Contemporary. What does it mean? Who am I? So many hats, crowns. Musician. Professor. Educator. Human. As I mature, I think about the things that I want do, the legacy I want to leave for my family and friends. From making music to making a positive impact, I want to be proud of the work that I do. I’m working on my mission statement, something for music and education. I want to make sure I am walking a path that matches my values. What are they? Well, let’s start with the Earth.

Since elementary school, I have celebrated Earth Day! Our schools come together to recycle, pass out better light bulbs, plant trees. I, like many of you, have made small changes in my own home. Just this past weekend, we offered party guests an option to use a glass or wooden bowl, instead of piling up red solo cups and paper plates in the trash. My new employer has taken Earth Day a step further.

Every year at CCBC, the school asks the entire campus, faculty, staff, and administrators, to share in the reading of a community book. This year, the book is No Impact Man by Colin Beaven (http://noimpactproject.org/book/excerpt/). To summarize, Colin and his family embark on a year long adventure to decrease their wasteful consumption and increase their community involvement for planet Earth. Mr. Beaven came to CCBC and I got a chance to speak to him about the “impact” that his book has had on my life and my day to day decision making. I felt bad for handing him a business card and a CD printed on plastic, in a plastic jewel case. Can’t I be more Eco friendly? I’m QueenEarth.

In my efforts to save paper and print less cardstock, I ordered new promotional materials. I still have to conduct business and shake hands. I don’t have to add trash to a landfill pile. These new postcards grant free admission for a guest with a paid admission. I will reuse the cards that are returned. On the back side of the card, I’ve got information about the QueenEarth Music catalog. It’s my way to advertise, recycle, and add more “& Friends” to the movement. Look for the new materials at Terra Cafe, Atwater’s in Catonsville, Mt. Vernon, and anywhere you find QueenEarth.

 

I have to do my part and be involved in this movement to save the earth. It is bigger than me. I do it for my niece and nephew, for my god daughters, for those who will be here and need to drink clean water, play outside, and breathe clean air. From the garden to my business, I am overwhelmed by all of the small changes that I can make. I have to start somewhere.