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Today the famous puppet, Kermit the Frog, might sing, "it's a little easier being green." Or would he?

Kermit was born in 1955, and he grew up green during a time when there were no green products, green designs, green houses or green people. The only green jobs were those performed by folks like landscapers, nurserymen, arborists and farmers who had to work with nature to grow healthy plants.

When Kermit reached 18, people were talking a lot about the environment. Powered by a shortage of oil and a nuclear catastrophe, their conversations carried on for a few years, but it didn't last. Earth-assault practices prevailed.   

In the 1990s, the group called the U.S. Green Building Council began using his skin color to describe shelter construction that was friendlier to the environment then the typical building. Green meant the man-made habitat was healthier for inhabitants and operated in better synergy with nature. In and beyond the construction industry, green became a powerful, smart word.

Imagine. Kermit's color was suddenly powerful, smart and hip. He wasn't really sure how to act after 40 years living as an outcast.

He found shelves filled with more products wearing green costumes every time he hopped to the store. Instinct helped him recognize the imposters.

Today, thanks to more oil and energy production catastrophes, he hears humans talking about the environment once again. His worries about his friends and family members who are suffering in oil-slicked swamps.

Kermit understands that wearing green skin requires sacrifice. He can't shed it in the name of convenience nor take it off when everyone else is wearing polka dots. His home is cleanest when he doesn't clutter it with a bunch of stuff no matter how green the label wrapped around the purchases.

Kermit knows who his real friends are -- those who stood up for him when no one else would. Like a rock star who has made it to the top, he has to be careful to remain true to himself and his pond. It may be more popular, but it still isn't easy being green.

Winter is almost at its end. With spring comes a desire for fresh air, inside and out. This is the time when household project ideas replace the dusty thoughts of ways to escape the cold.

It's the time of year when you notice just how cluttered the house got since summer ended. The forgotten holiday decoration, the unfinished craft project, the piles of tax preparation paperwork, and all those worn out sweaters begin to crowd your senses. It's funny how an early warm day -- that first occasion to open a window -- can invigorate us to clean out and get a fresh start.

OK, some of us get more motivated than others. In fact parting with possessions can be very difficult regardless of how useless, obsolete or ratty the items are. As an organizational consultant for 10 years, I came up against the issue regularly.

For example, I remember one women who told me about her crowded attic. When I asked her to give me an example of what was up there, she closed her eyes to remember and said, "The first thing is my box of knitting supplies."

I asked, "Do you still knit?"

"No, not anymore," she replied.

"Well then why do you have it?"

"I guess I wish I would have finished the project. I guess I wish I'd pick it up again someday," she said. I could tell by her voice that she never would.

Her sewing box now stood as a trophy commemorating the goal she never met. And since it was the first thing she came to in the attic, it served to punish her for her lack of achievement every time she entered the storage area.

I encouraged her to donate the material and let someone else turn the clutter into a warm blanket or other useful item. I reminded her that, by removing the box, she can make way for a new goal -- one that can be accomplished and can deliver a sense of achievement.

She suddenly seemed as if she couldn't wait to get home to the attic, and I could see in her eyes that she already knew what would take knitting's place. It didn't matter what that replacement was. What mattered is that she turned from downtrodden to motivated.

That's what spring cleaning is all about: taking a deep, strong breath and moving on towards a new season.

I watched Oprah Winfrey's television show yesterday. Her correspondent took us to places the average American NEVER gets to see. One of these was a nun's convent in Michigan. (Show title: Keeping the Faith)

Here, women as young as 18 tiptoe through life in marriage to Jesus Christ. The youngest and oldest among them went on camera to describe the freedom that came from two vows in particular: poverty and chastity. The piece showed how deeply satisfied the nuns are with their choice to follow their calling.

Religious views aside, I could not deny that their poverty vow mirrored a key theme in this Back-to-Basics Blog. We are so inundated with material things that we will likely never be satisfied, no matter how luxuriously we live.  

And the vow of chastity is not much different. Due to an obsession with self-image, we will likely never be pretty enough, no matter how perfect we look.  

At a convent, these absurdities are shut off, and each women is free. But for those of us who do not have the religious calling to give themselves to a man we've never met (and willingness to share that man with thousands), we are stuck with shutting out the senselessness on our own.

The nun feels peace because she has dedicated herself to a husband whose ideals match her own, and everyone around her shares this dedication. Meanwhile, we must fend for ourselves and often conflict with the aspirations of many of our acquaintances: our housemates, our friends, our family, our coworkers, strangers, and even the television and Internet. We struggle for the nun's freedom without incarceration behind a convent's walls.

It's important to keep in mind that going against the grain of society should not be a dedication. Society is an unpredictable and constantly changing thing. Dedication to peace, harmony, good health, and a light step on the earth leads to a deeper satisfaction than avoidance or rebellion ever could.

Freedom from materialism and self obsession can be achieved. It's not easy, but neither is moving away from your family and loved ones to enter a convent for the rest of your life.

It was intended be just a brief, personal introduction. Last Saturday, when I took my recyclables to Recycling Services, Inc., I met the center's President, Jim Crater.  I found it ironic that the sun blinded me as I talked with this solar power and waste reduction guru.

It soon became clear that Jim was not going to let me off with a quick "hello; I'm a writer; I'll be in touch." He had stuff to say -- words that should be said -- words that I almost couldn't keep up with -- and if I was going to listen, he was going to talk.

After 10 minutes, it was closing time, and I still had items to distribute into one of over 20 different bins. And Jim's volunteers were ready to wrap it up on the 50-degree, winter afternoon, so we agreed to talk again and said goodbye.  

Afterward, his words swirled around in my head. Since 1971 he has been building this oldest community recycling center in Pennsylvania, and while he takes more types of material than any other in America, he'd really prefer we stop generating the waste in the first place. He has real solutions to our waste problems. He lives the philosophy, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle"...in that order...saving recycling for the last resort.

You'll hear more about Jim from me in the near future.  In the meantime, you can learn more about Recycling Services, Inc. by clicking here. 

I am the proud owner of a shiny new Cannondale Comfort 5 bicycle.

While in the bike shop, I saw a banner that described bicycling as a solution to two of our big problems:  high gas prices and sedentary lifestyles. Unfortunately, just buying the bicycle isn't the solution. It's first necessary to get out of the car and onto the bike.

I am fortunate to live in an area where recreational, non-motorized vehicle trails exist, and more are being installed every day. Not only are these trails fun to ride, but they serve as corridors for alternative transportation. If I wanted to, I could ride from my house in the rural suburbs to the center of Philadelphia on a network of trails, many of which follow old railroad beds.

So why don't I ride instead of drive? The weather is one obvious reason, but that excuse goes away when the sun is shining and the humidity drops. I could say that I don't have time, but I'm an advocate for slowing down. If I rode instead of drove, I wouldn't need to block out time for exercise; could work a few minutes less because of the gas saved; and could take advantage of some mental downtime.

My professional appearance upon arrival is currently a valid reason because I'm out of shape, and it's still summertime. I wouldn't exactly look good sporting "helmet hair" while wearing a sweat-ringed collared shirt, but even this excuse only works for the few occasions when my appearance matters.

And like most Americans, biking is not in my daily routine. I'm out of shape as a result (which becomes another excuse) and know only how long it takes me to drive from one place to the next. I have no idea how long it takes me to ride these same distances, which makes planning difficult.

Tomorrow I must attend a 9am meeting at an office just 15 minutes from my house. The forecast is for a gorgeous day. The topic for the meeting is promoting outdoor recreation in our beautiful area. This would be a perfect opportunity to use my 24-speed bike. So again, why don't I ride instead of drive?

Safety. Yes, there are trails available, but there are places where I would need to use the roadways in spots treacherous enough that I would fear for my life. Every time I consider biking, my good intentions are shot down by fear for my own safety. 

Next time you are racing around in your car and come upon a biker, please give him or her plenty of room and courtesy. Don't think of them as someone in your way; think of them as a person who is solving two problems at once. 

And when you get frustrated with your municipal officials for spending money on recreational trails in your neighborhood, remember that these trails are infrastructure. They serve as roadways of a different kind. They are also a healthcare solution, providing motivation and framework for exercise with no gym membership required.

Are you a biker? Are you scared to ride on the roads?

Vacation season is upon us at a time when money is tight. In 2008 we coined the word "staycation" as a result of the popularity of staying close to home for vacation. Money is still sparse in 2009, but this year, we've perfected the practice, knowing just how rewarding a staycation can be.

Finally, an excuse to take advantage of the many festivals, parks, and other attractions we one day hoped to visit. For me, one example is this weekend's Civil War Reunion at Pennypacker Mills in Schwenksville, PA. I'm not really a history buff, but this is an event that I've wanted to check out since I moved to the area 20 years ago.  

Also, last Sunday's Philadelphia Inquirer was filled with festivals in the Northeast, offering a perfect summer-vacation-planning guide. The Life is Good festival in Boston caught my eye as did the school-bus demolition derby at the Big Butler Fair near Pittsburgh, PA.

It's so easy to miss what is right in front of us. When we spend thousands on a trip, we make sure we experience everything possible in order to get our money's worth. Yet, we rarely apply that same "do it all" approach to our own backyard.

Besides the benefit of saving money, leisure at home means we invest at home. Not only do we then spend money in our community restaurants, gas stations, and attractions, but we also utilize historic and recreational sites that rely on citizen interest and support for their annual funding.

Traveling the globe exposes us to fascinating cultures and landscapes, but staying at home swells our own culture which helps us to remember who we are.

So, if you're feeling down in the dumps that you don't have the money to travel, grab a pen and paper and make a list. Pull out those brochures stuffed in a drawer, get a copy of May 24th's Inquirer, thumb through your own local paper, call your Chamber of Commerce and begin writing down all those nearby gardens, theaters, boat rides, restaurants, festivals, tours, swimming holes, hiking trails, and wineries. Take the list with you on your morning commute so you can add to it as you think of ideas. Then hang it on the fridge and pack your suitcase for a trip home.

Thousands of boy scouts pitched their tents in my neighborhood recently. They were attending their annual jamboree in Green Lane Park, and despite a torrential rainstorm, each campsite was set up neat and tidy. Besides possessing the knowledge of how to properly set up a tent, they also must have had a truckload of tarps, rope, stakes, hammers, (Band-Aids,) and towels.

Moms are another fortified group, always ready with whatever implement is necessary to fend off the next disaster. It sure is nice when she has just what you need, right when you need it, but at what cost to her sanity? I mean it takes a lot of advanced thought to ensure that all bases are covered, and that does not leave much time for listless daydreaming (a.k.a. relaxing).

If I were a CFO, I suppose I would look to a return-on-investment analysis for the answer. How good is it to have just the right thing when you need it? Is it worth the investment of time and thought to have packed it and have lugged it around, only to store it away again when you get home? I say,  "if not, then forget it and be consciously unprepared."

I don't think those boy scouts would agree, or at the very least they would still be drying out from the rain. And while we may envy them for their preparedness, I wonder how often the troop leader wants to say, "Ah, the heck with it."

After a year of parking their utility trucks on my local streets, Verizon Fios is aggressively promoted their newly installed fiber optic service.  I've been shredding their glossy mailings about once a week while laughing at the comical television ads which admittedly make Verizon competitors look like slackers. Despite the service improvements, that fact remains that I want less TV in my life, not more.

The current offer is something like a TV + internet + home phone bundle for $80-$100 month.  I cannot get an estimate of what my residence would cost until I divulge my phone number. I'm already getting a mailing a week. What's going to happen when they find out I was interested enough to request a quote? I already know that the advertised deals beat my current land line ($30/month), high speed internet ($20/month) and minimum-channel, standard cable ($20/month) bills especially when I compare my measly 22 channels to their 200, or when I factor in the speed of their fiber optic internet service.

But the point remains that I also have a closet full of board games, a stack of challenging jigsaw puzzles, a bookcase stuffed with books, and a phonebook filled with names, all sitting unplayed, unsolved, unread, and uncalled. And after a mentally long day's work, I already fight the temptation to let my brain sink into the "boob tube."  That fight is not going to get any easier with 10 times the number of tempting channels.

And maybe the $100 advertised price does beat my piecemeal utility service bills, I can only imagine the true cost once the special is over, the fees are added, and I've lost valuable time figuring out how to reconnect my old DVD player.

Do you have Verizon's fios service?  Are you happy you switched?  Why or why not? 

The Federal Trade Commission has a tool to simplify the task of screening your phone calls: 888-382-1222.

I know, the FTC is a government agency, which usually means complication, not simplification; but this is something they've gotten right.  It's the National Do Not Call List and it bans telemarketers from calling registered numbers. To get your number on the list, just dial the above 888 number from the phone you want registered.  After 31 days, you can file a complaint against any caller who disregards the ban. Keep in mind, calls from non-profits asking for donations, voter calls and surveyors are not banned. 

I've had my phone numbers listed since the Registry's inception.  Registrations no longer expire.  Basically, since I've listed my numbers, I've few to no calls from salespeople.  Peaceful relief.

There's a long-time-circulating email that states your cell-phone number will be released to telemarketers "tomorrow".  The FTC listed this as a hoax back in 2007. For one thing, telemarketers are already banned from using autodialers to call cell numbers. However, since 2003, you can add your cell number to the registry.  I did.

The time it takes to pick up the phone and dial the number (or go online at https://www.donotcall.gov/) is a minimal inconvenience compared to the hassle of receiving sales calls at dinnertime.  I especially encourage everyone to get their senior parents to register, too.  Seniors are a known target for fraud and this tool reduces the likelihood that mom will get called.

There's a list to reduce junk mail.  Are you on it?  Do you need to know what it is?