Two major things happened this past weekend. Firstly, Saturday saw the first of what will undoubtedly be a string of protests against Proposition 8, the rather ridiculous California ballot proposition that banned same-sex marriage less than two weeks ago. National organizers said there were about 300 such protests around the world on Saturday and about 200 of them in the United States. They had expected about 1 million to turn out but said it appears actual turnout may be higher, with approximately 400+ people showing up in my home town, alone.

The second fabulous thing that happened, and which happened to be just up the street from me, was the annual San Francisco Green Festival.

Now, I won’t lie to you. I’m not embarrassed to admit to being an SFGF virgin and, being my first time, I was overcome with a mixture of excitement and trepidation (the latter mainly due to my babysitting issues). The festival is a joint project of Global Exchange and Co-op America and it has grown steadily each year into a full 3 day, 150 speaker, 400+ green business filled, event. Not only does it provides a forum for discussion and the showcasing of green products and services, but it also practices what it preaches, by providing fab recycling services and collateral.

Now, due to the planets not quite aligning in the babysitting department, I ended up taking 3 of my 4 children to the event too, so the ability to join in on any of the great speaker presentations was not an option for me this year. However, browsing the huge array of green business offerings and discussing the latest and greatest ideas was like a breath of fresh air. Even my kids were getting in on the act, asking pertinent questions and then connecting the dots when they were presented with the answers. That was a joy for me, right there.

With my offspring in tow I knew I didn’t have long and so I attacked the vendor area with military precision.  What I ended up with was a huge amount of great ideas and useful information, all of which will be showcased here in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here were my instant gratifications:

• various publications to keep me in the loop (it’s a never ending learning process, for me anyway),
• a bi-weekly order of local, organic produce,
• the softest towel you will ever nuzzle made from bamboo (BTW – would make great underwear!),
• the most fantastic smelling, organic soap,
• a quick 101 on the latest wind turbine technology (that my kids subsequently wanted to stick their heads into as he was demonstrating it)
• a micro-loan to a well-deserving business in India
• information on the benefits of using a recycled paper coffin, you know, for when the time comes… Well – why not? Like you’re going to care!

So, all in all, it was a great day for the kids and I. A great local event with tons of new opportunities emerging, companies willing to satisfy the need and, the best bit for me, lots of people wanting to learn more.