Well, This is Nice...Reviews!

Sometimes the Universe sees you need a little boost and just sends you a present. Don't you love it when that happens? Recently the Earth Mama CDs got these unexpected great reviews for Midwest Book Reviews, a specialty house that refers media materials to libraries and schools. 

Reviewer's Bookwatch: July 2016
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575

Andrea's Bookshelf

Rouse House Music
PO Box 450, Independence, VA 24348
www.earthmama.org

Joyce "EarthMama" Rouse has created a grand variety of music albums over the course of decades, all with the common themes of promoting eco-literacy and good stewardship, appreciation for nature's splendor, the manifold joys of love and kindness, and everyday nobility in thoughts and actions (such as the moral principle encapsulated in the song "Only Take What You Need"). Her music is a treasure the whole family can enjoy, and makes excellent addition to school and public library CD collections. A selection of her uplifting, ecology-themed music albums include "A Sense of Place" ($14.99 CD/$9.99 MP3), "Pay Attention" ($15.00 CD/$9.99 MP3), "Around the World" ($14.97 CD/$9.99 MP3), "Love Large" ($15.00 CD/$11.00 MP3), "Grass Roots!" ($15.00 CD/$9.00 MP3), and "Under the Rainbow" ($15.00 CD/$9.00 MP3).
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/rbw/jul_16.htm#andrea


Andrea Kay
Reviewer

Library Bookwatch: July 2016
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575

The Multimedia Shelf

Virginia Beauty: A Love Song for the Commonwealth
Joyce Johnson Rouse
Rouse House Music
PO Box 450, Independence, VA 24348
www.earthmama.org
$12.00 CD / $9.99 download cdbaby.com

Since Virginia has no official state song, composer Joyce Johnson Rouse (a.k.a. "EarthMama") created Virginia Beauty: A Love Song for the Commonwealth as a tribute to Virginia's natural beauty, hardworking people, and rich history. A medley of expert musicians perform Virginia Beauty in standard, bluegrass, abbreviated, and instrumental versions. Virginia Beauty is also enriched with bonus materials; when the CD inserted into a computer, the user gains access to printable documents and suggestions for using the song in performance and education. Highly recommended! The audio tracks are "Long Version", "Bluegrass Version - Featuring Dale Ann Bradley", "Short Version", and "Instrumental Track".
 http://www.midwestbookreview.com/lbw/jul_16.htm#Multimedia


Children's Bookwatch: June 2016
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane Donovan, Editor
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive, Oregon, WI 53575

The Holiday Shelf

Christmas Heart
Joyce Johnson Rouse
Rouse House Music
PO Box 450, Independence, VA 24348
www.earthmama.org
$15.00 CD / $10.00 MP3 cdbaby.com

Joyce "EarthMama" Rouse presents Christmas Heart, a holiday-themed music CD for the whole family. Some of the songs have religious themes that celebrate God's love and the birth of Jesus Christ; all are shining with the universal joy and camaraderie of the season. An included lyric booklet makes Christmas Heart ideal for sharing and singing aloud, especially at Christmas caroling or parties. Highly recommended! The tracks are "Christmas Heart" (3:18), "Close To The Earth" (4:26), "Baby Child, Baby King" (2:34), "The Angel Tree" (3:49), "First Christmas Waltz" (3:27), "Christmas Candles" (2:52), "Quaker Christmas Medley" (5:03), "For Christmas" (3:25), "Fear Not (in the Stile Nacht)" (5:20), and "Green Christmas" (4:57).
 http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/jul_16.htm#Holiday


Full reviews here:

http://www.midwestbookreview.com/rbw/jul_16.htm#andrea

If You Need a Chair— Act Locally for stronger communities

IF YOU NEED A CHAIR BY JOYCE ROUSE 

Happy Chairmaker by Todd Price ©2013 Original oil painting. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

This song is on my CD  “A Sense of Place” by Earth Mama. One of the main themes of the album is to honor whatever place you chose to live in. I love our local farmers market and meeting the people who grow our food.  As we discover more local products, I have greater respect for the artisans, growers, crafters, and creators of useful items we have right here in my community. And probably in yours! I wanted this song to have a global musical feel and honor many cultures, with humor, fun rhymes and places to sing along with “la la la” syllables.  I hope people will get up and dance around and sing harmony when they hear this song. And perhaps inspire people to make stronger communities by shopping for locally made goods. Maybe it will even promote supporting local music...  La La La La LA!

For music and lyrics click here: If You Need a Chair

This was first posted on the Children's music network blog in september 2015. reposted here with their permission

11 Ideas to Honor Earth for Earth Day

 Earth Mama’s Random 10 11 Ways To Honor Earth!

1. Resist the urge to buy the latest high tech coffee making device, especially if each cup results in single use disposable plastic trash. So many ways to make great coffee with just beans, water and heat. If you must buy something new—my favorite low tech version is the Aeropress (found at World Market)  for kitchen or camping, and tiny little paper filters can be cleaned and reused!

2.Plant a tree—I know you have heard it before, but it is important to repeat often. Trees are the lungs of the planet.

3. Contact one elected official per week. Now it is EASY by phone or email to let them know you are a person who votes and you want GMO free foods, meaningful organic labeling, attention to climate change issues, protection for pollinators, better recycling programs and any other important issues you feel strongly about. Keep message short and to the point. And be polite.  Let them know that there are voices like yours, otherwise all they hear is money interest lobbying from corporate polluters.

4. Carry small reusable food containers in your car and one in your backpack or purse.  Use these for takeout and leftover portions from restaurants.  In a year's time you can avoid use of piles of Styrofoam® and plastic.  Model the idea for friends and you'll have a bigger impact. Decorate them to personalize for gifts. 

5. Stop using disposables in your home. Cloth napkins, real plates. Get out the real dishes for a crowd! Let doing dishes together become part of the holiday fun. Your grandma would be proud.

6. Re-frame your brain to think of ways to re-purpose items before disposing. Toilet paper roll tubes makes great plant protectors in the early spring garden, then they decompose right into the soil! Dry cereal wax paper bags can be reused for wrapping sandwiches for lunch and to cover food in microwave.
Etsey and craft websites are filled with good ideas of making beautiful useful things out of discarded item!  Old roof gutters become artistic planting troughs for herbs.

7. STOP before you print and ask yourself if you will read it more than once...
Ink cartridges, besides being expensive, require gallons of petroleum to manufacture, fill, transport and print.

8. Try growing something new this year. A row or pot of lettuce or spinach is easy—easier than driving to the store!

9. Plan your driving, limit the trips. If you forget the bread for sandwiches, make a salad instead.   When you feel like taking a drive, try taking a walk instead.

10. USE the cloth shopping bags. Keep a stack in your car and replenish when needed.  Yay, Hawaii for banning plastic bags from the islands. They can see first hand the damage it is doing to the oceans. I hope someone bans the K-cup coffee plastic next!

11. OK, I could not stop at 10—Recycling is now like basic hygiene.  This of it as bathing and flossing for the planet.
  
And “Only Take What You Need, uh, huh, Only Take What You Need!”  (from Around the World with Earth Mama CD)

NO ONE is doing this all perfectly, but we can ALL make an effort to do a little better for the Earth each day.
Love your Mama, your great Earth mama.  Thanks for all you do for her in your life.
Happy Earth Day!

WHY is there a Reggae song for kids about Local Foods and Local Economy on A Sense of Place?

Lettering by Todd Price

A Sense of Place, by Earth Mama

1.  Because Kids are our future and our responsibility. (And they are fun to sing with and make great volunteers at my shows!)













 2. Cause kids are so danged cute, smart and fascinating that they deserve to be part of this whole Local Foods and Local Economy movement. Who better to carry the message of Live Local and Love Where You Are Planted!

This baby crawled up the aisle at St Catharine's College (KY) chapel while I sang The Compost Song (Let It Rot). He jumped into my arms and cooed and gurgled along on the last 2 verses.
What a show stealer!







 3. Because THAT song— If You Need a Chair—whined and complained like a child begging to go to the circus to be on THIS CD, not wait until the next  youthful release.

4. Because it is soon to be a Picture Book, illustrated and hand lettered by noted artist, Todd Price.

Wait til you see the page with the Tamaleologist!

Peace and all good things, Joyce

Shop Local Success for Community and Business

Last week I dashed into my local Food City store to grab a few things for a pot of "Ward Off the Cold" chicken soup. While a very nice clerk scanned the celery, I complimented her on the cool eco T-shirt she was wearing.

She beamed and explained that my local Food City store had:

— recycled beyond target goals

— reduced their electric bill significantly

The result of this accomplishment was that Food City corporate had gifted all employees in the local Independence, Virginia store with groovy eco T-shirts, a bonus casual dress day, AND cash gift cards!

Here's a big shout out to Food City for rewarding their inspired employees at this small town store. I have long appreciated the company's commitment to efforts in buying local produce, increasing organic offerings and support of our local Earth Day events. They have even embraced social media with an active Facebook page where their sense of community is demonstrated daily.

Now I have one more reason to be a loyal customer....and remember to bring my own reusable bags!

Again, kudos to all the committed individuals in the Independence, Virginia store who love Mother Earth with both their words AND their actions, Thank YOU!