Thursday, September 3, 2009

Now that I'm home, what next?

My last week on the road included many interesting sights. I thought these horses, under the trees with the flowers in the foreground, were beautiful.

I watched these girls fishing with their father - they caught three little fishes which they were going to cook up for breakfast the next day. I thought to myself: "These children are two of the grandchildren I'm waling for."

The last day was very rainy and windy, but nothing bothered me because I was so happy. Here we're all laughing because my umbrella turned inside out.

Dear Children,

I'm at home now, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It's a beautiful, sunny day in September and I just did a little work in my garden, which got neglected because I wasn't here to do my share of taking care of it through the summer.

When I came in from the garden I read all the new comments on the blog, and I went back to March to find some of your comments there. I may have missed some so if I don't mention your name please remind me. Today I will write to all of you, whether you have written a comment or not - I appreciate your reading even if you don't respond. Here are the names of children who didn't get on the list last time:

Susan, Barbara, Anya, Anabela, Guilherme, Katie, Rani, David, and Chloe - Thanks for adding your comments. I will try to answer all you said and asked but not by name.

Coins - Unfortunately I didn't keep count of all the coins I collected, including those that others found when they were walking with me and contributed to the collection. Some of the coins are very old and damaged, and I plan to take a picture of them to show you. I think only a bank will accept them. My daughter, Ms. Hart, found a lot of coins, including dimes and quarters. Sometimes other people who were walking with me found bigger coins while I kept finding pennies. My guess is that all in all we collected about $5.00, but I spent some of the coins as I went along, so we'll never know.

New York/New York City - During my walk I didn't get very close to New York City at all. I was walking in the state of New York, through the cities of Binghamton, Syracuse, Cortland, Watertown, Canton and Potsdam, and many other villages, ending up in Rouses Point on the border with Canada and the state of Vermont.

Working for the climate - Many of you are doing good things for the Planet Earth, at home and at school. I like hearing about your efforts to recycle (including recycled art and posters), to use less water and electricity, and to learn more about global warming. It's wonderful when you share what you're doing and what you've learned with other students and with your family. Good job! I hope your student council (STUCO) can do good things for the environment.

When you grow up - I was very moved by your thoughts about what you would like to do when you grow up. I will work hard for you to have a better world to grow up in. Actually, whatever your occupation is - engineer, actress, teacher, nurse or doctor, etc. - you will have many opportunities to fight pollution and global warming. And during your time off you will be able to do things like walking a long distance to call attention to climate change.

I want to thank all of you for your enthusiasm and your kind words about my courage, and your wishes for my safety. You make me want to work all the harder for the Earth.

So what shall we do next? Please tell me what you're thinking and doing. Maybe you want to plan an event for October 24 when people all around the world will be doing things to demonstrate their desire for more action on the problem of Climate Change. I hope to hear from you. (And Happy Birthday to Nani and Anabela!)

Love, Nana Greta


22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Nana Greta,
How old are you? You like to walk, don't you?
I don't like to walk so that's why I would never do this!Did you like your walk?

Rafael

Anonymous said...

Hi Nana Greta,today is my birthday and I look your blog I love the photo of the horse

thank you Melissa

Anonymous said...

Nana Greta!
How are you???? I'm very sad your walk is ending, BUAAAAAAA...! So how is New York?? Did you already go to Central Park??? Oh I forgot to tell you it's me again Anya, do you remember?? I'm asking lots of questions, maybe i should just stop. Im SO happy my name is on your list! Okedoke..... are you doing another blog?? So we can still send you messages. Hihihihi... I think I have nothing to say anymore, I hope to hear from you again.
Thank You for reading my letter.
Anya
P.S How many pennies you think you got it total on this adventure.

Anonymous said...

Hello nana Greta!!!
I am so glad that you reached your home.
I liked the picture of the horse!
I really am glad you did this walk to help the enviorment!!

Anabela

Anonymous said...

Dear Nana Greta,
I think it's really great that you took this walk, are you sad it's over? Thanks for helping save our enviorment!

-Katie

Anonymous said...

Dear Nana Greta,
I am sad becouse I wrote alot to talking about what I would do to save the Earth. But you didn't find mine. Sorry to be sad.

Anonymous said...

Dear Nana Greta,
I hope that you saw my comment last time.
But when you wrote the names you dind't wrote my name.
Please write for me that time.
I am really sad, cause I wrote for you two times and you dindn't put my name.
But it is okay!!
I saw that you respond some of what I wrote, like: that I want to be a actress when I grow up and that I talked to my parents to do not let the computers and all of what you said that can't stay on.
I hope that you will write my name that time!!!
It's really easy to write it:Gai.
Kisses and Huges
GAI!!!

Anonymous said...

NaNa GrEtA,
Thank you for walking about 2000 miles for the people.
BYE BYE!!!xDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxDxD
P.S:xD is a happy face!!

Anonymous said...

dear nana greta it is the third time I am writing to you and you did not write back to me. I dont know why you are not writing to me.
Igor 5A
Teacher:Ms.Hart
Assistant: Mr.Julian

Anonymous said...

Nana Greta,
I think it's wonderfull that you did this walk!! Are you sad the walk is over??? I would be very sad. Hope your garden grows. :)

Julia:D

Anonymous said...

Hi Nana Greta how many people stoped to talk to you?My birthday is september 9 and I was born in the year 1999.



Robert

Anonymous said...

Nana Greta,
I think, since it is so close to halloween, you should do an event were there are lots of kids around and you could teach them. I am not that good of thinking of ideas to do, sorry, that was the best i came up with. every time me and my friend want to make money or if we are just bored, we start selling lemonade. there was this one time we were so bored that my brother came up to use and told us to go find rocks with him so we did, it was really funny cause he said that the rocks were crystals and that we could make a forrtune. So me and my friend fell for it and we found some rocks and then my brother told me and my friend to sell them so we did we only sold one the rest we threw out on our lawn. i can get tricked very easily and i am not the brightest person to make ideas but,.... i don´t know anything better. i bet that if the evirment was a person you would be it´s best friend. there are no words in the american vocabulary that can explain how good of a person you are, nana Greta. tell me what i can do to help with my school. PLEASE.
Larissa

Anonymous said...

Hi Nana Greta,
Thanks for responding to me.I'm very happy that you did this LONG WALK. Today is Melissa's birthday.Melissa is a new student that just came to school. I loved all of the pictures that you took.Do you have lots of flowers in your garden??? Is your garden beautiful???
Have a nice day
With love
Amanda

Anonymous said...

Nana Greta I´m sorry I don´t write a lot because I´m new in the Panamericana and don´t speack english very well.
Thank you for read my letter. Melissa

Anonymous said...

Hi Nana Greta I loved your site so much that I will continue to read your site every single day!!! THAT IS A VOW, this is some of the words your super daughter tought me I love her, she is a special person... hehehe!! I loved some of your pictures I liked the horses better because I love horses !! One day you can come to Brazil, it would be super! I thing every one would love to be with you !!!
Thanks for every thing you did to our world!!! I can tell you are a super hero !!
LOVE
Malu

Anonymous said...

Dear Nana Greta,
I LOVED the picture with the horses. They are so cute!!!!!!!! Congrats for finishing the walk. You did an impressing job. Some questions: Did you have lots of followers? Did you see many animals??? Please answer!
Hugs and Kisses,
Alice

Anonymous said...

Dear Nana greta
Thank you for anwsering my question!
I think you are exhausted by running 2000miles!
by:jose vitor

Anonymous said...

Dear Nana Greta,
I apologyse becouse I thought you didn't sent me and email back.
But now Ms.Hart showed me what you wrote for her about me. And I would adore to do a video tape about me. THANKUE.
DAVID

Anonymous said...

Hi again Nana Greta!!
We're curious to know when you were our age what did you want to be when you grow up? Were you already planning on being a enviromental activist?
Got a go!
Love,
Billy and Cris

Anonymous said...

Hi nana Greta,

Im writing from my house today. I wanted to know if you like animals. Would you only do something super, like, that for the inviorment or would you like to help animals, too? You don't need to do super a walk, just tell me your email address and I will send you a email that a lot of people are sighning and just by doing that they are helping, to protest against killing baby seals. Did you know that they started a new sport: KILLING BABY SEALS. I think it's horrable so i am sending this message to a lot of people. On the message it says to sign your name. Please help the baby seals. I am sending you this message because you are a real super hero to help mankind and I thought, that maybe, you would be interessted in helping the seals.

Larissa
P.S. It's okay if you don't want to. But, The baby seals are dieing :(

Greta said...

Yes, Larissa - I care about animals and would be happy to sign the petition if you send it to me. Thank you for taking this initiative. Love, Nana Greta

Anonymous said...

Dear Nena Greta,

I really like your blog is so cool. Do more blogs so we can explore more blogs in the internet. If you will do write in your blog. Everyone will read your blog. I study at Pan American School of Bahia. I like to walk at the forest at my farm. My name is Caio and I have 9 years old.


Sincerely,

Caio.