within the green embrace of the shire, where secrets are oft kept as confidential as the whispers of the old forest, there lies a tale of sustainable living most wondrous. it is said that to give the cold shoulder to the ways of waste and wanton use of resources is to re-establish a bond with the very essence of middle-earth. before one notices, the preexplanation of one's actions towards sustainability becomes a beacon for others to follow, leading to a life where the heart and the hearth sing in harmony with the land.