Green with Children
No Paper Napkins!
It's a new year...a time for rejuvenation, for a renewed sense of purpose. It's the ideal time for me to deepen my commitment to Mother Gaia, to take my family to the next level of environmental awareness, to make this a year for the earth to be renewed....
But first, I need to make a grocery list. Santa did not bring me a full-time chef, alas, and the milk and frozen pizzas don't just magically appear in the Frigidaire. Deepening my commitment to the planet is going to have to wait a minute.
In a stroke of brilliance that might also be a sign of a rather cynical new turn in my marriage, I forced my husband into no-holds-barred negotiation in order to let him golf on the Saturday after Christmas. (Understand, people, that this would be the man's fifth straight day of golfing while on vacation in South Carolina with his family. It was my fifth straight day of hanging out with the same two toddlers I hang out with every other day of the year.) So desperate was he for one more day of wearing bad clothing and atrocious shoes, he agreed to do all the grocery shopping--a hateful task--in January and February. But I needed to make a detailed list because he can't find food even when it is inside his own refrigerator.
Here's when my renewed commitment to Mother Earth kicked in. I didn't put paper napkins on the list, although not a one existed in our home. This is rather momentous. I've decided it's time. It's time to use cloth napkins at every meal.
Jeff didn't realize we didn't have any napkins. That night as we put away the groceries, I informed him that we have no paper napkins.
"Aargh. You should have called me," he grimaced.
"Nope. That's just it. We're not getting any more. We're going to do it, Jeff. No paper napkins. It's time. I have to give it a try. I'm writing about how we're going green. Now we're going to try living without paper napkins."
He grimaced again. "Your husband doesn't like this plan."
"I know," I said.
Jeff can't stand using our cloth napkins. Whenever I pull them out, I notice that he is very careful to not get anything on them. Me? I love them. I think they make a meal seem a bit more special, and there's something decadent to me about wiping my greasy fingers all over a nice piece of cloth. The boys will be easy since they love to wipe their greasy fingers all over everything.
We're not wasting excess water by washing cloth napkins because I'm doing laundry all the time anyway. God knows, I'm too tired to throw a dinner party where we might serve a meal that qualifies for cloth napkins. Might as well put the sets I received as wedding gifts into service.
Tonight I eased Jeff into it by sharing one with him. He didn't really use it and I even think I saw him cut his eyes at it when I brought it out. If I can get Jeff on board with this, I would have to say anyone can switch to cloth napkins. Stay tuned.
© The Green Guide, 2008
Discuss this blog
posted by hemlish on 2008-01-18 12:41:06
I had a very similar experience as you did recently. When my grandmother was moved into a retirement home, we were going through things to donate, pitch, etc. and I found a bunch of cloth napkins that she had had for who knows how long. I decided right there to make the change in our house. My husband is ambivalent about it, but my two little boys love it. They are learning to put their napkins in their laps at each meal and my two-year-old, who loves to be clean, really likes using them.
Anyone thinking of making the switch should. It really is just an afterthought for us now and a great way to make a small change.
posted by edc1951 on 2008-02-11 08:35:57
I am a bit older than you and got active in the enviro movemnet in my 20'sback in the 70's. From then I have used cloth napkins and I haven't ever regretted it. When one napkin is dirty we simply throw it into the wash and take out another. For awhile I thought I was obligated to actually iron the stack of linen ones from my mother and grandmother but in the interest of saving electrical usage and the fact that they wipe just as well wrinkled I have left them as they are when they come out of the dryer. One note though to anyone who's contemplating this move-don't get those horrific polyester napkins-they slime your face when you wipe. I am good proof that the world does not end just because your napkin is not wrinkle free with razor edges!
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