Green Monday: give me coffee!

We live in a small town with a lot of volunteer opportunities. Our local library loves finding good uses for volunteers, so it's one of my favorite places. I'm "the yarn lady", hosting knitting lessons throughout the summer. The library folks seem to like me, too. They submitted my name for the annual county volunteer luncheon, which was an eye-opening event.

The room was jam-packed with like-minded folks from all walks of life, all having a great time. If you're ever feeling lonely, check out your local volunteer organizations. You'll make instant friends and do a good deed or twelve.

Aside from the great food (barbecue sandwiches) and terrific company, the volunteer luncheon gave me another opportunity to "go green". I won a door prize!

Clutching my little red ticket, I trotted up to the prize table to take my choice. Among the planners, trivets and always-tempting chocolates, there was a coffee cup. You know those paper cups with plastic lids that get used once and then dumped? Picture one made of tough plastic, with a rubber grip. That's what I saw on the prize table, and that's what is now sitting on MY table.

I'll never have to use a paper coffee cup again, thanks to a kind donor. Some coffeehouses offer discounts to patrons who bring their own cups, and you can just imagine how much can be saved in the way of resources if more people did the "reduce, reuse, recycle" routine.

Of course, there is one problem. How do I convince Junior that this is my sippy?