April 22, 2019 · 0:00
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Earth Day/ Birthday

Today, April 22, is Earth Day!  It’s the 49th Anniversary of the very first Earth Day.  Here is Walter Cronkite’s report on the first Earth Day, 1970:

It would also be my late sister Judy’s 67th birthday.

Whoever made the decision to turn Judy’s birthday into Earth Day chose wisely.  Judy was a born environmentalist and recycler.

On the first Earth Day, Judy was a new, very young mother who believed in saving the planet.  She was the first “environmentalist” I ever knew personally, and well, I thought she was nuts.  There was a recycling bin in her kitchen for as long as I can remember.  And this was back when recycling took effort.  She believed in gardens, not garbage, and she made life bloom wherever she was.

“I’ve got kids,” she’d say.  “It’s their planet too!”  

But years later, Judy took recycling to a whole different level when she helped people recycle themselves.  In the 1990s, Jude, who was then living in Florida, began working with the Homeless, assisting at shelters.   Then she actively began trying to help homeless vets find food, shelter and work — to enable them to jump-start their lives.

When she died in early 2000, the American Legion awarded her honorary membership for her services to homeless vets.  A homeless shelter was named in her  honor.  So she’s still doing good works, my sister is.  That would make her wildly happy.

Jude also gave me the Beatles.  So it is very appropriate that they wrote a song for her.

You see, the night the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan, it was MY turn to choose what we were going to watch.  And we were going to watch the second part of The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh starring Patrick McGoohan on the Wonderful Wide World of Disney.  My four (all older and MUCH cooler) siblings were furious with me.  But I was quite insistent.  You might even say that I threw a Class I temper tantrum over it, but I wouldn’t admit to that.  But hey, I was seven.  And it was my turn to choose.  Fair is fair, especially in a big family with only one TV.

Somehow, Judy talked me out of my turn.  She was always very persuasive.  Thanks Jude.

Hey Jude, Happy Earth Day-Birthday.

*     *     *

If this looks/sounds familiar, it’s because I recycle this post every year. Because you should never use fresh when you can reuse something already written.  And you can never get enough of “Hey Jude.”

29 Comments

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29 responses to “Earth Day/ Birthday”

  1. Trent Lewin
    April 28, 2019 at 0:00

    A recycled post in honour of your environmentalist sister… seems so appropriate. As an environmentalist myself, my props to your sister. She sounded like a wonderful woman.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Elyse
      April 28, 2019 at 0:00

      She was. And a pain in the ass, too. I’ve long thought that “Hey JudeL captured the relationship perfectly: loving, fun, and a bit of screaming. 😏

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  2. jilldennison
    April 24, 2019 at 0:00

    Your sister sounds like one awesome woman! Way ahead of her time, as it happens.

    Liked by 1 person

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  3. Exile on Pain Street
    April 24, 2019 at 0:00

    Why aren’t there more like her, I wonder? Probably because it’s a lot of work and folks are generally lazy to the core. I know I am.

    Recycle, nothing. I prefer ‘classic.’

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Elyse
      April 24, 2019 at 0:00

      It is a pain. I imagine it must really be a nuisance in an apartment. But whatever I can do to help … sadly, though, your way will be the future as recycling is ending up in the landfills more and more.

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  4. denise421win
    April 23, 2019 at 0:00

    Your sister… so smart … we need more people like her on earth

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. momshieb
    April 22, 2019 at 0:00

    Happy to see you out here, my dear! And happy to be reminded of your Jude.

    Liked by 1 person

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  6. Tippy Gnu
    April 22, 2019 at 0:00

    Today is very much Earth Day for me. I’ve been down on my knees in the earth, shoveling it, raking it, and smoothing it. All to lay some patio bricks that I’m recycling. So all this dirt on my kneecaps, on my shirt, and under my fingernails is for Judy, the rest of us, and the Earth. And thanks for the blast from the past, with Walter Cronkite and the Beatles. I love that tune.

    Liked by 1 person

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  7. nonnie9999
    April 22, 2019 at 0:00

    Happy Birthday. Jude. We will hug your sister for you.

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. Deb
    April 22, 2019 at 0:00

    What a lovely tribute to a person you so obviously love very much.

    Liked by 1 person

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  9. aFrankAngle
    April 22, 2019 at 0:00

    And that’s the way it is, April 22, 1970.

    Liked by 1 person

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  10. caninecancerqathon
    April 22, 2019 at 0:00

    What a nice birthday reflection.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Play nice, please.