• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Lemons and a hand-juicing tool in an undated file photo. (OSV News photo/Steve Buissinne)

Grandma still uses cash, but updates when it’s truly necessary

September 20, 2023
By Effie Caldarola
OSV News
Filed Under: Commentary

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

It was a beautiful morning for a walk. As I made my way home, I spotted three young boys manning a lemonade stand.

They were enthusiastic salesmen, loudly hollering “lemonade” at everyone who passed on foot or in a vehicle. It brought back memories. With three kids, I went through a lot of lemonade with my gang of entrepreneurs. It was a ritual of summer — the sign-making, the marketing, the sense of camaraderie with neighborhood friends. And, oh yes, the profit motive.

“Wow, guys, I haven’t even had coffee yet,” I tell the boys.

“That’s what everybody says,” one of them replies. It was barely 8 o’clock.

“And,” I continue, “I don’t have money but I can get some. I’m almost home.”

The little one pipes up: “We accept Venmo!”

Venmo? At a lemonade stand? The world has changed since I had kids. I asked if they also took bitcoin, but they gave me blank looks.

Armed with money, I went back, wishing they were selling lattes. As I paid — Grandma still uses cash — I noted the barcode taped to their table. Yep, Venmo.

Here’s another thing I noticed: Mom had provided huge, single-use plastic glasses for their project. I’m sure back in my day, I did the same thing. But now, I cringed.

Lemonade-stand moms, please: try to find some completely paper, compostable cups.

I know, I know, we are all weary of apocalyptic climate messaging — and no one likes a lecture — but there are small things we can do and we must. Cutting down on single-use plastic is undeniably tough. Here’s a couple of things I’m trying: I order laundry sheets, little dissolvable rectangles that come in compostable packaging and eliminate the need for those huge plastic bottles, a major landfill item. I’m also experimenting with different kinds of shampoo bar soap.

The state where I now live (New Jersey) has banned plastic bags. I admit, I once used those plastic grocery bags as kitchen garbage bags, but now we grab canvas bags on our way out the door (with extras in the trunk), and we’ve found inexpensive compostable bags online for our kitchen garbage.

If a few people forgo plastic bags, it’s helpful. But if a city or state mandates it, it makes a tremendous difference in plastic usage. You have to advocate for that.

That’s why it was a good thing in 2006 when the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops helped form Catholic Climate Covenant, a project of education, advocacy and prayer. Their advocacy work encourages our legislators, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other agencies to get on board to do the right things for our earth.

By googling Catholic Climate Covenant you can learn how to be part of advocacy for change on a national scale. Maybe you can even encourage your parish bulletin to get on board.

In his environmental encyclical, “Laudato Si, On Care for our Common Home,” Pope Francis wrote, “When we fail to acknowledge as part of reality the worth of a poor person, a human embryo, a person with disabilities — to offer just a few examples — it becomes difficult to hear the cry of nature itself; everything is connected” (No. 117).

Everything is connected. We are, all of us, connected, and we’re intimately connected to the natural world that is now under such duress.

Jesuit Father Daniel Berrigan said, “About practically everything in the world, there’s nothing you can do … however, about a few things you can do something. Do it, with good heart.”

Help ensure that for another generation, little kids will still have beautiful, mild mornings where lemonade stands beckon, with Venmo or without.

Read More Commentary

Cupcakes with 2025 graduation toothpicks in them and a bowl of cookies

Our 31-hour Road Trip

St. Paul and discovering that sin is ‘missing the mark’

Six lit candles on a chocolate birthday cake

Making a birthday wish come true

Pilgrims of Hope: Walking the Way of St. Francis in the Year of Jubilee

The fisherman and the pharisee

A loaf of sliced bread

We are part of the miracle

Copyright © 2023 OSV News

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Effie Caldarola

View all posts from this author

| Recent Commentary |

Cupcakes with 2025 graduation toothpicks in them and a bowl of cookies

Our 31-hour Road Trip

St. Paul and discovering that sin is ‘missing the mark’

Six lit candles on a chocolate birthday cake

Making a birthday wish come true

Pilgrims of Hope: Walking the Way of St. Francis in the Year of Jubilee

The fisherman and the pharisee

| Recent Local News |

Archbishop Lori announces clergy appointments, including pastor and associate pastors

DUAL ENROLLMENT

Double the learning: Dual enrollment provides college credit to high school students

St. Mary’s purchases former Annapolis Area Christian School

Radio Interview: Exploring the Nicene Creed – Part Two

St. Clement Mary Hofbauer adapts to times, cultures as it celebrates 100th anniversary

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Ukraine religious leaders issue ‘desperate cry’ to world to end Russia’s war
  • Pope Leo wears Chicago-made vestments to July 9 ‘care of creation’ Mass
  • Movie Review: Sorry, Baby
  • ICE deports Iowa parishioner to Guatemala homeland as supporters pray for his release
  • Come away and rest awhile
  • French woman hopes sharing mystical encounter with Minnesota Benedictine helps sainthood cause
  • Pope: Vatican still ready to host peace talks between Russia, Ukraine
  • Archbishop Lori announces clergy appointments, including pastor and associate pastors
  • Pope prays for conversion of those resisting climate action at new Mass

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en