Now as you may have noticed, I got a new book for my birthday. It is utterly fantastic, and discusses issues that have been bothering my poor little brain for a while now. (Transition Handbook by-the-way).
Now I have been able to get a few titles I have been after second hand:
How to be Free – Tom Hodgkinson; Cradle to Cradle – McDonough; A Life Stripped Bare – Leo Hickman
BUT – there are so many wonderful books out there, that simply refuse to show up on eBay (if they do, they are new through book sellers). Amazon has a “used” section, but look closely: most listed in there are new through massive booksellers – grrrrrrr. To name a few of the books I crave: Plants for a Future Edible and Useful – Ken Fern; anything by Richard Mabey, especially his new cookbook for hedgerow finds; many permaculture books I am after.
Its sooooooo Frustrating!!!!!
But on the other hand it has made me raid what books I do have. I have discovered some gems that I never knew we had, including an inspiring book on self sufficiency and another on herbs with amazing recipes (Elderberry Rob, for winter colds is a favourite!).
And yes, before you comment, the library is an option, but they really don’t stock the more ‘out there’ books. Nevertheless, I do have a few on order, so all is not lost.
“We are a part of nature and one of our greatest conceits is to feel apart from it.
We have this great hubris that we think we own a piece of the earth.
We buy these certificates of sale and ownership and all that, but that is the same as the fly that thinks it owns the banana it lands on.”
James Turrell at the Roden Crater, Sculpture Diaries, 20 Sept, Channel 4.
My Granny is a genius, this is a note that was in my birthday card, with an M&S giftcard:
New undies!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also got the new Freeplay windup radio, which again, is genius. One minute winding gives 20 minutes radio play or 30 minutes of the excellent torch. Or just stick it in the window and let the solar panels do the rest!
Last but far from least is something I have been hankering after since the project started (this summer, it seemed to be in Glastonbury shop windows, just to tease me!). “The Transition Handbook: from oil dependency to local resilience”. Funnily enough, could not get this book secondhand, no matter how hard I tried – eco people hang on to their books! Anyway, its fantastic – now I just need to convince the good folks of Wye that they would love to do this!
- Birthday Tammy, off to raid the antique shops of Rye for my birthday…..
Now I was composing this email in my head whilst driving today. The main point being:
ECO-DRIVING IS BORING!!!!!!
Gug! I managed to eco-drive for an hour and a half to South Croydon, but my bladder and lack of patience made me put my foot down on the way back. Sorry folks, just being honest.
So what was my mission in jolly South Croydon? Picking up a bike I had bought on eBay. Gorgeous and light weight, the plan is this will help me bike to see a friend and get to the shops. It has a front puncture, which is not great, but nevermind we can sort that.
Just got back from a great ’shop’ in town. Discovered a new charity shop further up the high street and was pleasantly suprised: came away with three hard-board books (Meg eats anything else) and three ties for Sir. Very happy. Megan has adopted “Whose tail?” and thinks the lion at the end is funny.
This helps ease the pain of discovering that my beloved Oxfam shop is closing for a month ….. nooooooooooo!!!!!!! It is moving, so they are busy selling off the dodgy pieces of stock that no-one wants …. must have that pastel china dolly… yum……
Thank god for eBay, the fine sellers of every piece of tat known to man and beast. Sean’s trousers ripped last night (unfortunately not in a classic comedy way, but across the knee, which is rather dull) and the poor boy had to brave eBay. After having stuck in one search term, he declared that ‘nothing was out there’. Such an amateur! “Dear, try “stone” or “cream” or “beige” not just “chino”. You have to show determination and patience”. I went to bed and about an hour later, up comes an eBay victorious hubby with trousers bidded -on-and-on-the-way.
Well the eBay habit really is in my veins now. The postman is weighed down with packages, but has told me ‘I am keeping the Post Office alive’ – crikey, has my eBay habit gotten that BIG???? Anyway, for light relief, I leave you with the all-time-classic eBay song:
Mtv – of all people – is running an environmental campaign to encourage their viewers to WAKE UP! The fantastic thing is they really haven’t pulled any punches and, in fact, they have been really quite brave – hurrah! Anyway, see for yourself:
It was Megan’s first birthday last weekend, and I would like to report that we are fairly unscathed.
Her main present from us was a large Rocking Snail – think a big, friendly, fuzzy version of a rocking horse, and you would be almost there. Needless to say it was an e-bay bargain. We did buy her a handmade cake, but I have always considered food to be an OK thing to buy under this ‘project’.
What was different is that people were much more careful what they bought her. Relatives were keen to know actual “need” rather than random tut, and I have to say her presents were lovely. It has really made me appreciate what we were given and I dont feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff, as we haven’t been adding to it. Having said that, my ‘top buy’ was 20p for a bag of stickle bricks at a local fair, which she totally loves.
I have to admit that I went on a baby clothes spending spree on eBay lately. Meg was wearing a lot of hand-me-downs and any ’style’ that was hers was beginning to disappear into other people’s tastes. So three smock tops and a pair of leggings have arrived, and they are truly lovely.
Back onto the topic of birthdays-its mine in a week or so, and I haven’t been this excited for ages! NEW STUFF!!!!! Shiny heaven!!!! Again, people have been asking me what I need. The strange thing is, I don’t truly need anything right now. Anything I need I am able to source on eBay. But the fun, shiny, gorgeous stuff…..that is different. Honestly, i am sitting here with a grin on my face just thinking about it. Birthdays haven’t been this much fun since I was little
Last year we have a bumper crop of yummy Kentish cob nuts that I picked, dried and enjoyed over the winter. This year….nothing. A few limp green catkins and that’s it. Perhaps the pollination was stuffed up like it was for the plums.
Broad beans have died of some evil black spot disease thingy. We got quite a few beans first, but I’ve had to take out the plants. Meanwhile the runner bean plant that next door gave us has gone bonkers and producing loads of tasty beans.
I do have a confession to make. I bought something new. And it was weedkiller. I know, I know! How could I do such a thing. Well I’m afraid our drive has been infected with Japanese Knotweed. Yesterday I asked my ecologist friends from the Environment Agency and Kent Wildlife Trust. They both said either:
- dig up an area of soil around the plant a couple of metres wide and 8 metres deep and dispose of it as a controlled waste(!)
- cut it, zap it with weedkiller and repeat for the next FIVE years.
RT @jointparishes campaign to get AXA's KIG to withdraw their doctored lighting evidence from the planning inquiry is growing #STOPKIG1 week ago
RT @BearstedJen Really impressive speakers today talking about the negative effect of KIG on footpaths and bridleways-well done all.#stopkig 1 week ago
Thirty local residents giving evidence today at the KIG inquiry: the strength of fury about these proposals is phenomental #stopkig2 weeks ago
Also got the new Freeplay windup radio, which again, is genius. One minute winding gives 20 minutes radio play or 30 minutes of the excellent torch. Or just stick it in the window and let the solar panels do the rest!
