Freecycle

August 5, 2009 at 6:15 pm (Uncategorized)
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Oh the joys of Freecycle, I just love it when there can be a genuine flow of giving and receiving – it gives me such a buzz! I have let all my computer mags and a small colour TV depart. I have received two wooden pallets and a metal storage cabinet. Why? To keep our stuff away from the mice in the garage (metal cabinet) and dry (off the floor on pallets). Basically we need to take care and respect the stuff we actually have, without it getting needlessly nibbled and drenched.

My next plan is to get a kitchen cabinet inner on freecycle, then take out the fridge to put it on freecycle. A perfect circle. Although freecycle is like riding a wave – sometimes you get the perfect wave and ride, other times you find small little waves that come to nothing. The joy is the anticipation and simply not knowing.

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Power of a good sort-out

August 5, 2009 at 12:26 pm (Consumption, Gratitude)
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So part of this project has been the one-in-one-out policy, which has been making me a little fanatical. I have been trawling through the house looking at ‘stuff’ I can get rid of.

The surprising result has been the re-discovery of some really nice, and useful things. Knowing what we actually have has also made me feel very grateful for the many things we do own, and has lessened the urge to buy more.

This has started me thinking about the role of gratitude within consumerism. I wish that I had started the project last year by being more grateful for what I owned already as this, I now believe, is an essential foundation for beginning to re-define my relationship with stuff, consumerism and modern lifestyles. So often, projects such as this start from a place of sacrifice and deprivation – to go without, to cut back, to have less. It becomes ‘work’.

Whereas if the mental mindset was of abundance – being grateful about how much we had, rather than what we lacked, the urge to have more, to consume, would have been less.

-Tammy

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Kent County Show 2009

August 2, 2009 at 2:59 pm (Uncategorized)
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Back at the Kent County Show this year, trundling around with the pram. Little Megan loved all the things that make the county show what it is: the tractors; horses; strange breeds of cows; cute sheep; huge pigs and bizarre llamas.

The Eco-village section is growing nicely and has a fairly balanced mix of ‘buy-me’ stalls, advice stalls and project stalls. Justin, who installed our solar panels was there, and our house was pictured on one of his publicity boards *blush*!

But where was the antique tent? Heavens above! I was looking forward to it, but it had vanished. At least most of the supermarket tents had also disappeared as well – hurrah! I wont mention the 2 hours I was stuck in the carpark trying to get out (mutter, mutter…)

-Tammy

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Change of lifestyle, change of mindset

August 2, 2009 at 2:09 pm (Consumption)
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So, if I have indeed bought 46 things since the start of the project, how exactly is the not-new-year slowing down my consumption? Sure, it is displacing it onto the second hand market, but it is continuing.

What I am getting at is that I need to address the mindset that I have when I consume, rather than how I consume. This is distinction between acting at ‘being green’ and embodying it. You can replace all the lightbulbs and recycle, but this doesn’t make you ‘green’ – green is ethos and actions combined – not a list of ‘easy green tips’ or ‘doing your bit’.

If we engage green living in more depth, it becomes an expression of our deepest moral values. The “work” of green living becomes less of a chore and more a locus of ethical development…. The conversation moves from personal sacrifice to real consideration of the nature of our connection with the earth. “Mindfully Green” by Stephanie Kaza

So, I will be paying a lot more attention to the motivation and mindset of my actions, rather than just my material based actions. The In-Out list and closed loop e-bay maths will remain to keep me on track, but they will be a measuring tool, not the whole project. So, hoping not to scare you, but I hope this blog will get a lot more reflective.

- Tammy

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