Thinking "Green"

I always seem to start out my posts apologizing about how long it has been. I have posted in my mind a bunch of times since the last one, it's just that you never got to read them. I am not sure what finally propels me to sit down and write. Once I figure that out I will be much better. But for today, here is what is on my mind.
This fall we at the Gomes house (meaning me) have decided to try to do things a bit more organically. From our food to our household and personal products I am trying to switch over to products that I can understand most of the ingredients of and that I am assured are a bit more safe for my kids to use and consume. As I was driving home from the grocery store today pondering over what I bought and also what I couldn't afford someone came to my mind that I wanted to pay homage to today.
When I was in the 4th grade my family moved from one area of Billings Montana to another area of that same town. This meant for me a different school and different schedules for my parents. During the summer before school started my Mom found a daycare provider for my after school hours that was within walking distance of the school. Her name was Toby Green. She was a beautiful woman in spirit and in looks. She did daycare out of her home which now I realize was actually pretty small considering the number of us that were there. She had a basement that magically turned into whatever setting we chose for that particular day for our specific imagination. She had a huge tree with a tire swing and her backyard butted up against an alley (which was the sight of my first ever "flashing" experience, remind me to tell you the story if I haven't before).
The reason all of this came to my mind today in particular is because I was wondering if I could get my kids to eat real whole wheat waffles or pancakes. When I was just a bit older than Emma I was eating breakfast at Toby's house. Toby's specialty was buckwheat pineapple pancakes. With honey. You see, Toby Green was way ahead of me on the whole organic health food thing. She juiced carrots with a big huge silver machine that I remember taking up the whole kitchen counter. As kids instead of sneaking candy from her cupboards we would sneak chewable vitamin C tablets. They tasted sooo good and I have yet to find their equal. We always played so hard, using only our imaginations and the toys at hand. I know she must have had a TV but I can't remember ever watching it. I am so grateful for those experiences with her. I could write for days about them and their uniqueness. She had lost all of the toes on one foot and wore a prosthetic slipper that looked like a foot with painted toenails and all. She wore it with her Birkenstocks. I still don't know what caused that, I just accepted it as part of who she was. Kids are like that. She used to load up all of us in the back of her suburban with no seats or seatbelts (before the law changed) and take us through the drive through at Burger King (so not always organic!). Then she would take us to museums and hiking trails and picnic areas. I was with her daily for three years and then visited off and on for at least a year after that. When I became old enough I babysat her kids. She was my friend.
When we moved back to Oregon from Montana our last stop was her house to say good-bye. I tear up even now thinking about it. She gave me a letter that I wasn't allowed to open until we reached Idaho. I still have it. It's beautiful just like she is. I have lost touch with her. She married a wonderful man shortly after I left and I can't remember his last name. I do however remember the address of the house that I walked to so many times and I remember what her phone number was. Isn't that crazy? I actually looked at the house not too long ago using Google maps and satellites. For at least 20 years after we left I had a dream at least once every six months that I was back in Billings and was going to get to see her. Every time I had the dream I just knew that this time it was real. Sadly it never was. Those dreams have started to fade and I have them less often now but she is never really far from my mind. I wish I could call her and get the recipe for those buckwheat pineapple pancakes.