I don’t typically think about writing for Earth Day. Not that I don’t love this beautiful world we live in, but it’s not a day that comes to mind. Until a few weeks ago. The things I have seen. It really made me mad. The more and more I thought about it, the more I wanted to write about it. I googled when Earth Day was, and it was only a few weeks away. I thought, “well, perfect; I’ll save it for Earth Day week!” Some of you may not like this, but that’s OK. I speak my mind, and that will never change. But I am thinking most of you will be on my side about this one, yelling “Yessss girl!” from the recliner as you are reading this. If you get upset, then obviously, you need to work on your disgusting behavior — just sayin’.

We live out in the countryside of Linden. It’s beautiful out here! Seven minutes from town, but still out far enough for the peace and quiet. You hear only the peepers at night in the summer and the snowflakes falling in winter. We see deer and so much wildlife each and every day, and no one can ever build on top of us. Our neighbors — all within a few miles — know one another. It’s a nice little community out here. Everyone knows, well, everyone!

Now, I have never been a city girl, but there is something beautiful about big, tall buildings with the lights on at night and all the store shop lights shining bright. When we are on the bikes, I love coming through town instead of the highway, just taking it all in as the sun sets over the Golden Strip. I find the city and country so beautiful in their own way. We live in the Appalachian Mountains, where we should take care of this beautiful place we all live in. It’s ALL of our backyards! 

A few weeks ago, I was driving over to my momma’s for our Thursday night dinners. As we passed the Turkey Path and continued on Daughterty’s Run Road, my little girl always yells “hi” to the horses right there on that bend. We got up to the crest of the hill, and there laid a pile of someone’s trash — a plastic sled with a bunch of other crap. A hundred feet more, there was another pile! Kids’ toys, just thrown on the side of our country roads. I was disgusted! If I would have had a truck, I would have stopped to clean it all up. It seriously was probably close to a truck bed of crap that someone just dumped off because their butt is too damn lazy to take it to the dump!

A day later, I drove by, and someone had picked it up. THANK YOU to the wonderful person who did this. It did not go unnoticed!

After that, I was driving to work out Huling Road the next week. There laid four tires on the prettiest view on that road. I’m like, are you kidding me right now!!? What is up with people leaving their trash outside of our country neighborhood!? I know you didn’t get four flat tires at once there, pal. So, you obviously drove out to where no one could see you and just dumped it.

Do you see signs that say, “Please dump your trash here? We enjoy seeing your crap in our beautiful countryside. It adds a special touch.” No. Ya, don’t. So, stop being so inconsiderate! And to the lady in the maroon Jeep on Bottle Run Road who threw trash out your window. I saw you. I know what you did. You couldn’t throw it out when you got home?? Not that your house probably looks any better.

Here it is, plain and simple. If you are that stinkin’ hoggish to throw trash out your car window, dump piles of garbage onto the sides of the roads, and drop old tires off where you feel like it, then I can’t imagine how your home looks. If you can’t take care of this world we live in, then you obviously can’t take care of your home. I wouldn’t even want to know what the inside looks like if you can just dump piles of crap out in our local neighborhoods. It just blew my mind that within a two-week period, all this happened within a few miles where we live.

I am constantly picking up cans and bottles on my walks. If I see it’s getting bad, I’ll carry a plastic bag and pick it up. Drives me nuts!

Don’t even get me started on recycling centers and clothes donation boxes to where if it doesn’t fit, you just chuck it on the ground and make it someone else’s problem! The audacity of some of you just slays me. It took every ounce of me not to follow this Jeep and tell them to go pick their crap up. I can’t imagine if I drove by and saw someone dumping garbage like that on Daugherty’s Run Road. I know I would stop. I can’t control myself when it comes to people like this.

Like I said, if I am ticking you off right now, obviously, there is a reason. Not saying it’s gonna make you stop, but there are people out there good enough to pick up after you. Does your momma still pick up after you too??

OK, Andrea, you got your point across. Settle down, girl. Settle down. Slow deep breaths — Slow. Deep. Breaths. 

Now that that’s said, and I think I got my point across. Please, PLEASE think twice when you go to litter. It’s not just people you hurt. It’s the animals and the environment you hurt too. Take some pride in this wonderful world we live in. The earth is one thing we all have in common. Earth is a beautiful place to live. God spent six days making it; the least we can do is take care of it. If you can’t keep your houses clean, that’s your business. But when it comes to OUR earth, it is our duty to all take care of it! We all should feel this way and want to protect it. Stand up for what is right. Every day should be treated like Earth Day. 

Trash Cookies

Ingredients:
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup oats
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup butter, room temp
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup of each; coconut, chocolate chips, heath toffee bites, mini PB cups, pretzels, mini-M&Ms, & pecans

Preheat oven to 370°.

In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients (oats, baking powder/soda, and salt) sift until well incorporated.

In an electric mixer, combine sugars and butter. Mix on high until well incorporated. Add eggs and vanilla.

With speed on low, slowly add the flour mixture (just until combined).

Using a spatula or wooden spoon, hand stir in the mix-ins. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a small cookie scoop (~1 tablespoon), gently shape the cookies into round balls and slightly flatten them.

Bake for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.