That One Idea

Have you ever had one of those moments when, from out of the blue, you have a fantastic idea or thought?  Well, I had one today, an idea for this blog post – the color green.

It all started this morning when I got a manicure and pedicure, something to prep me up for our upcoming vacation.  I don’t do this often, so it is quite the treat for me.

For my nail colors, I chose two shades of green, my favorite color.  I’ve done pinks and reds a couple of times, but I just don’t care for the “pop” they have.  They are just a little to bold for me.  So I just stick with the good ol’ natural green.

Later, after I got home and was working on some household chores, it occurred to me that I put a lot of “green” in my life.  Green fingernails, plants, clothes, etc.

The Color Green

That got me thinking about the color green itself, and the thoughts and views surrounding it.  I believe it has a very interesting story.

So, first lets look at the color itself first.  What is green?

I was very curious as to what the definition of green was and how it would be described.  And all I got was “it’s between blue and yellow”.   Well, that’s like saying the definition of a car is between a truck and bicycle.  And it leaves a wide open space, because there is a lot of green!

So that raises the question, how much green are we really seeing?

For most people when they take a walk outside, they see green trees, green plants, green weeds, etc.  I have to admit, back in the day, that is what I saw too.  Just green.

Kermit the Frog

And then Kermit the Frog’s little song, “It’s Not Easy Being Green” popped into my head.  

He sings about green not being viewed as colorful, like red or orange, and it gets passed by everyone.  And it blends in with so many other ordinary things.

But then at the end he says “I’m green, it’ll do fine.  It’s beautiful.  And I think it’s what I want to be”.

That made me stop and think, what have I passed by?  What did I miss?  Or was it intended for me to not observe it?

I don’t know about the past, but I do know that going forward I can see in between the blue and yellow and catch all the green.

What I mean by that, is now that I know many different plants, I can see between the “greens” and see all the tones and hues.

The Effects of Green

The psychological side of the color green takes on many forms.  There are the good effects, the not so good, and a few in between.

How does green make you feel?

Well, that will depend on the situation, environment, or concept, right?

In researching the color, I found that green is mostly a positive color.  It creates warmth, a sense a safeness, peacefullness and more.

And to think that nature is full of green!  What does that tell us?

Why are plants green?

Plants are green for so many reasons, like the ones just mentioned.

Plants are comforting.  Have you ever just gone out and sat on the grass or under a tree and felt at peace?

We feel safe in our homes, built from trees.

How many times did you look for that green four-leaf clover for good luck?

And, money does come from trees!  Paper money that is.  I know, dorky reason as to why plants are green.

But for real, why are plants green?  Because they catch the red light.  What?

True.  Green is the complimentary color of red.

So, plants and their leaves look green because the “special pair” of chlorophyll molecules uses the red end of the visible light spectrum (light from the sun) to power reactions inside each cell.

The unused green light is reflected from the leaf and we see that light, which is green.

The chemical reactions of photosynthesis turn carbon dioxide from the air into sugars to feed the plant, and as a by-product the plant produces oxygen.

How cool is that!  

That made me hungry…

Green Bread!

So I have to share with you some “Green Bread”.  Yes, green bread.

So when you first hear green bread, it’s like “Yuck!”

But not this kind!

My mother started making it years ago, and it has been a staple on the table for all family gatherings.  My nieces and nephews just love it.  It is very simple to make and freezes nicely if you want to save some for later.

Go HERE for the recipe of this wonderful, moist bread that is like a dessert!

I hope your family enjoys it as much as my family does.

And start looking at “GREEN” in a new way and seeing all the green that nature has to offer us!