A LESSON FROM MICHIGAN ABOUT TAKING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

As a self-proclaimed 'Michigander" I am proud to say that those old fashioned values of pulling together as a community still exist.

This text is from a county emergency manager out in the western part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan after a severe snow storm.


The Mining Journal, Marquette, MI

WEATHER BULLETIN

Up here in the Northern part of Michigan we just recovered from a Historic event --- may I even say a weather event of Biblical Proportions --- with an historic blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds of motorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores of communities and cut power to 10's of thousands.

FEMA did nothing.
No one howled for the government.
No one blamed the government.
No one even uttered an expletive on TV.
Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit.
Our Mayor's did not blame Obama or anyone else.
Our Governor did not blame Obama or anyone else either.
CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX, or NBC did not visit - or even report on this category 5 snow storm.

Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards.
No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House.
No one looted.

Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do something.
Nobody expected the government to do anything either.
No Larry King, No Bill O'Rielly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathews and No Geraldo Rivera.
No Shaun Penn, No Barbara Striesand,
No Brad Pitts, No Hollywood types to be found.

Nope, we just melted the snow for water.
Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people out of snow engulfed cars.
The truck drivers pulled people out of snow banks and didn't ask for a penny.
Local restaurants made food, and the police and fire departments delivered it to the snow bound families..
Families took in the stranded people - total strangers.

We fired up wood stoves, broke out coal oil lanterns or Coleman lanterns.
We put on an extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or Die".
We did not wait for some affirmative action government to get us out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfare program that trades votes for 'sittin at home' checks.

Even though a Category 5 blizzard of this scale is not usual, we know it can happen and how to deal with it ourselves.

I hope this gets passed on.
Maybe .....
SOME people will get the message ......
The world, including the U.S. government, does Not owe you a living.

Thank you for your support in Healing The Planet one bottle at a Time!

Faith Paulus

Founder – Back To The Tap…for a Healthier Planet

www.backtothetap.com

President – Interiors By Faith www.interiorsbyfaith.com

Author of Popcorn Poppin on the Apricot Tree

We believe the lack of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities are the root causes of hunger, disease and poverty throughout the developing world.

~globalwater.org

HOW ARE YOU ASSISTING IN THE DESIGN OF A NEW WORLD?

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see ~ Heb 11:1

I have discovered that a name like Faith - can be viewed either as a Blessing or a Curse….

The Blessing for me is the ability to foresee color, design, trends, and predictions, while communicating these inspiring results to other more down-to-earth personalities that do not always share my quest for eagerly viewing what's over the next horizon.

It was in fact this knowledge that ultimately led me away from the corporate world and into the living rooms of puzzled design-challenged families who have paid me well for the simple task of practicing what I love; weaving vivid colors, shape, dimension, texture, fabric, and interesting furniture into a synchronized and harmonious environment of cohesion and beauty.

By far, my most endearing projects have been found in renovating the homes of Empty Nesters who quite often, have been brought to their knees with the stunning realization that they might just have more money, than time left on their hands, ‘After all, we don’t get to take any of it with us when we leave!’ they proclaim, with a childlike and joyful surrender to their new status quo.

It does'nt take much time after that, for me to hand over a copy of “1000 Places to See Before you Die”, while convincing my newly enthusiastic clientele that paint fumes and other chemicals might best be avoided in a tropical setting, (on their dollar of course since the Extreme Makeover trip to Disneyworld has simply not been observed in the Interiors By Faith budget..) before forging into the home with a team of inspired and creative contractors.

For myself, however, the most satisfaction comes when - rested and broke from both the Remodeling and the costly exotic trip - the moment arrives to view their new environment with a delighted, long lost recognition – a confession it seems, of a reclaimed identity that was somehow misplaced in exchange for family priorities. The absolute pleasure that is derived from finding 'The Soul of a Home' is what keeps me picking up the proverbial “design” paintbrush to help someone rediscover those elements on the canvas of their home.

The Curse of this Visionary gift? The uncanny ability to sense on a more global level, impending trouble on that same horizon of blue sky. Even rubbing my eyes to timidly peer through trembling fingers for a second glance, fails to provide a more optimistic picture of those ominous dark clouds that warn of the dangers of a very real, global water shortage. Which leads me to the compelling truth that initially lured me from those same living rooms to create the Back To The Tap Campaign: We simply must face the facts that someday, in the not-too-distant future, the ability to turn on the tap and continue to have an eternally safe drinking water experience, is as unrealistic as painting clouds on that bedroom ceiling (way too eighties)

The World Health Organization says that at any time, up to half of humanity has one of the six main diseases -- diarrhea, schistosomiasis, or trachoma, or infestation with ascaris, guinea worm, or hookworm -- associated with poor drinking water and inadequate sanitation. About 5 million people die each year from poor drinking water, poor sanitation, or a dirty home environment.

And, according to the California Department of Water Resources, if more supplies aren’t found by 2020, the region will face a shortfall nearly as great as the amount that all of its cities and towns are currently consuming.

Atlanta is nearing a very real crises with the recurring drought of Lake Lanier, as the city desperately attempts to provide enough water for the city to meet a federal judge's 2012 deadline.

And, at any given time, says water.org, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water-related disease.

The Back To The Tap Campaign allows you to contribute to these efforts - with our newly developed Back To The Tap Purification System. Our most Advanced technology filter has been found to eliminate an amazing 99.99% if chemicals, parasites and other biological impurities, with all the advantages of a long lasting Stainless Steel Bottle.

Changing the mindset of a perpetual safe drinking water supply is an individual behavior~and we would like to help by contributing 1.00 for every System sold to Earth Share on your behalf. In addition, your purchases assist us in our goal to provide a Back To The Tap Purification System, to those children in the world, who are comprise the most startling statistic of all; Every 15 seconds a child is dying from a water related disease.

So, lets pick up that proverbial global paintbrush to view the realities of our hurting Earth. She needs our collective visions in preventing the continual depletion of Her generous and nurturing resources, so that developing countries can share in Her vision of abundance - rather than the curse of Her neglect.

Thank you for your support in Healing The Planet one bottle at a Time!

Faith Paulus

Founder – Back To The Tap…for a Healthier Planet

President – Interiors By Faith www.interiorsbyfaith.com

Author of Popcorn Poppin on the Apricot Tree

We believe the lack of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities are the root causes of hunger, disease and poverty throughout the developing world.

~globalwater.org

BACK TO THE TAP JUST GOT MORE AFFORDABLE!

In a concerted effort to reduce the global economic pressure that continues its relentless expansion into our pocketbooks, Back To The Tap has just "decreased" prices for their 16 and 27 oz Filtered Tap System Water Bottles to just 15 and 20 bucks, respectively.

Which means, while we are busy taking cover and peering out from under our proverbial wet blankets of the current marketplace , to witness yet another utility hike or tax increase, we can celebrate the fact that in this country at least, we still have access to an enormous capacity of clean tap water. And that my friends, is one of the few predictable resources that we can expect to arrive, on time and every time~we turn on our faucets.
Can I say the same for every man that ever made me a promise within my forty-something years of being single? Not so much.....

Think about it ~ every time we invest in a Back To The Tap bottle, we are also investing in our country's future, our ability to stop the alarming effects that BPA has conveniently planted in our bloodstreams, and our own dwindling dollars. Okay, I got ya, 15 or 20 bucks seems like a leap from the average 1.50 that you keep slapping on the counter of the 7/11 but a buck fifty times 6 thirsty family members equals 9.00. Do that a couple times a day and you got the picture.

Why not buy each member a Back To The Tap bottle and allow your children to see the benefit of not being a throwaway society? The fact that each filter will last 3 to four months, offers the same advantages of investing in groceries, with the long term reward of saving huge dollars from not eating out. Plus, its awesome not to have to break away from the soccer game to make that disposable water bottle call. Instead, head for the drinking fountain or the bathroom at the park, refill your bottle, and you're good to go! Even your two year old will get it.....
Heck, that generation will probably be looking back at this water bottle craze the way we analyzed the bad hair of the fifties.

Kudos to Project Kaisei and founder Doug Woodring who will set sail this week united with our own beloved Scripps Institution of Oceanography for a month long voyage to study the harmful effects of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This ' invisible to the eye' plastic vortex, two times the size of Texas which is killing our fish, birds, and sea turtles, floats about 1000 miles off the coast of California. The water-borne landfill is made up largely of those throw away plastic water bottles that houses that temporary thirst quencher that somehow never makes it back to your best recycling efforts at home. Trust me, the large bottling companies are banking on the fact that you need to buy a couple of these plastic puppies throughout your day. (You can comfortably blame this selective memory lapse to the subliminal marketing persuasion that has needled your subconscious millions of times throughout your lifespan to insure that you can conveniently forget you're bound to be thirsty when you leave home.)

It works like this: that same 7/11 Dasani bottle, when tossed on one of our beautiful San Diego beaches, drifts away for about 6 years, before getting caught in the gyre of the patch, never degrading completely, thus creating tantalizing faux pellets of food for our unsuspecting marine wildlife.

That two year old deserves to marvel at the pelicans and sea turtles in the coming century.

Send your generous contributions by check to:
"Ocean Voyages Institute" c/o Project Kaisei 1709 Bridgeway Sausalito CA 94965, USA

Thanks for Healing The Planet One Bottle at a Time!

Faith Paulus Founder - Back To The Tap....for a Healthier Planet http://www.backtothetap.com/

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
- Mahatma Gandhi

MEET DENISE LACAYO - BACK TO THE TAP'S REAL GENIUS!

When I was a young girl, I wanted a Pen Pal. Someone who lived in another country and who could share cultural differences, ideas, dreams, and the synergy that comes when two Great Minds think alike. So for a while, I communicated with another little 8 year old girl who lived in Africa ~ determined to make a difference by at least sending a few of my unworn lace dresses to take the place of her tattered one.

Unfortunately, other than a badly damaged photo of my shy, intangible friend, our slow postal services and distance proved to be a serious obstacle to gaining any ground as far as a long term friendship was concerned. So I mentally bid little Luciana farewell ~ but not without a silent pledge to one day know many other Luciana's of the world.

In fact, my fantasy was that if every child in America could have an African child delivered on their doorstep complete with its own instruction booklet for proper feeding and caring ~ we would have no more world hunger. Oh, the simplicity of it all!!!!

Denise Lacayo and I met over 18 months ago, (and 40 years after my last Pen Pal) when I was searching for a Creative Director for Back To The Tap. I knew it was essential to have someone young, trendy, knowledgeable of e-commerce, and most of all - as quirky and creative as I am.
Somewhere, in one of those vast virtual employment networks from India, we stumbled onto each other and were immediately smitten. Denise found the concept of Back To The Tap to be as intriguing as I, and wholeheartedly understood the importance of this movement to minimize global plastic waste through a Sports Bottle System that could Filter as you Drink.

I also have to admit a certain relief that she could answer the inevitable question: Do you like Curry? And quickly found I had hit on a goldmine when Denise admitted she did not live in India ~ but actually had a firm based in Florida. Which meant, normal working hours for the Back To The Tap website development process. Perfect!

From that moment on, the flurry of images, ideas, text, editing, more text, more editing, more photos, more ideas, and more changes began. We phoned each other constantly, and what at first appeared to be a language barrier ~ Denise is from Ecuador originally ~ and I from the United States ~we quickly learned that the unspoken language of creativity ~ and the more ancient art of our own women archetypical inheritances ~ quickly surpassed any perceived obstacles.
We often prayed for the success of Back To The Tap, as well as for our individual families, our loyal, loving and understanding husbands, (who continue to wait patiently for our return from these enlightened paths) and for insight into the world of big business. Sharing our knowledge ~ and always laughing like two schoolgirls, before we hung up the phone.

Denise was a brand new mom with a two month old child when we met. I would hear his quiet coos late into the night, as she would rock the baby on her lap without missing a beat while we discussed the important movement of Back To The Tap. I knew that together, we were making a contribution that was more global than we knew and will someday benefit those babies who deserve to have a green sustainable earth.

Her two beautiful boys: Dega and Dante, have grown quickly into toddlers now - their voices maturing into young little replicas of Denise's raspy quiet tones. The youngest baby has acquired a new vocabulary that includes the words: "Hi Faith!", as some of his first.
The African children I longed to care for our now as real as ever ~ as the Back To The Tap Campaign plans to offer proceeds from its sales to help those without safe drinking water.

Unfortunately , the global efforts that were needed in the sixties seem much closer to home as we discover the children in areas of our own country that are in desperate need of help for both proper drinking water and poverty issues.

The valuable conservation efforts and cost effective solutions of Back To The Tap are becoming apparent as the Campaign continues to be a magnet for the media ~ hungry for the ideas of those of us who have simply envisioned these pressing enviromental issues a little earlier than some.

We environmentalists are only too aware that along with that vision , comes the responsibility of providing tangible solutions that must be left behind for the next generation. Juggling our families, our friends, our spiritual growth, our budgets, along with our own physical and mental health becomes a reluctantly lesser priority, as future thinkers band together and furiously combine our talents to the tune of an oblivious ticking universal clock that does not heed the urgency that we know.

My friend Denise of DL Designs is the best Pen Pal I could ever have hoped for. She is someone who brings knowledge from another country and who can share cultural differences, ideas, dreams, and the synergy that comes when two Great Minds think alike.

Denise is a shining example of how creativity and compassion can be united within a joint passion that is bound to provide a universal need. I am thankful for her presence in my life and with luck this summer, will be joyfully looking forward to officially meeting the face behind the soul.

Whenever two or more of you are gathered in His name....there is love.