Saving green

A number of things happened at home while I was in Ireland, other than my mother and grandmother picking out wedding colors for a wedding that IS NOT IN THE WORKS. One such exciting event (such that makes the world go round at our predictable and monotonous abode) was that my mother read somewhere (when I say somewhere, I mean it was either Time magazine or my grandparents' used newspapers) that she could save 10% on her energy bill by switching off all the power strips at night before bed. Being a naturally skeptical but curious sort of gal, Mom gave it a try for a month and now shows her energy bill, reduced as promised, to anyone who happens to swing by looking for a cup of sugar.
I might as well tell you that all recycling in this house stopped when I was gone, as did the attempts to buy local organic food, as did pretty much all environmentally sustainable considerations because, well, my mother is a naturally skeptical person and has yet to be convinced that there might be such a thing as global warming. No, with Mom it takes a different tack. Saving the environment by saving money. That's the way to a cheap woman's heart.

Tomorrow, I forge a letter from the cable company saying that recycling her water bottles will earn us free HBO if she opens a subscription before the next season of Big Love starts.