Dash #47 Beth Rankin

  

It seems the answer to this question would define her dash more than my own.  But here goes:

        I may have mentioned before that when I lived in Kearns, the residents were given the option of purchasing a can for recycling. At that time, we had a household of five and then six.  Our trash can was ALWAYS full – often the day AFTER garbage day.  As our family needed the extra space, I opted to receive (and pay for) the can.  Two years the purchase of a recycled can was no longer an option.  Everyone received cans – only the mandatory cans were smaller than the initial one I had purchased (or leased rather).

          I tried to be conscience of recycling products, but wasn’t a fanatic about it.  I would sometimes get on the case of my boys or husband (who still hasn't grasped the concept) annoyed that they couldn't get it, but even Jenna had it down by the age of three.

          Two years before we moved to Oregon, I met Beth Rankin for the first time. She and Roland had met through high school band and she asked if she could meet with us as she passed through Salt Lake on her way to moving to Oregon. I remember the day well.  It was mom's fourth day at St. Marx hospital - which really has nothing to do with Beth.  Just that we had met at Firehouse Subs because I could make it on the way to the hospital and both were near Roland's place of work.

          Beth introduced us to her husband, Graham, and Roland introduced me to them (I was the last one to arrive, first to leave our luncheon). Although I didn't realize it at the time, I had met one of the most eco-friendly people on this planet.

          Beth Rankin lives in McMinnville and had taken us on a tour of the Habitat for Humanity - a site that allows people to dump and pick up supplies for home repair, gardening and those types of things.  Since she has lived here, she has joined several community organizations and chapters.  She opened a business to help the farmers with their product. It's been an interesting journey.  I love Beth so much, not because of her overly conscience efforts to recycle, but the wisdom that she shares with others and turning so many ordinary moments into teaching moments.  It's great!

        Whenever Roland messes up on recycling, I tell him that I will tell Beth on him.  Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to carry a lot of weight.

To learn more about Beth and her causes you can read her blog here and other sites here, here, and here.