There is this prevailing belief that homeschooled children do not partake in community. It is believed that my children and I stay home in our humble bubble with no care of the community that exists outside our walls. This is not true. We are highly active in our community participating in both homeschool events and non-homeschool events. I strive to keep a balance and am assisted along the way by other like-minded homeschool mothers.
By in large, we function as a community. Each mom organizes an event, class or what have you and invites others to join in. We plan things we think our kids would enjoy and benefit from a reduced price since we take the time to organize a group, collect payment, book the event, send out email etc. We take turns. I may only plan one or two events a year but as long as people are stepping up to the plate there is never any shortage of stuff to do. For the most part, this works.
Trouble arises when one mom proclaims that her quoted price for an activity includes a handling fee, a small profit for the organizer. Her time is precious (as is mine) and she can not afford to organize her plethora of activities without receiving some remuneration. On the surface this seems reasonable but I object for many reasons.
As a homeschool community we all partake in some planning and organizing. For example: My kids want to do skydiving, I want them to have a discounted rate so I organize a group of 20 or more, get a percentage off for all of us. Another mom organizes something, we partake without the hassle to organize and so on. We all organize something and the kids get an opportunity to do everything. The community thrives because everyone is doing something and no one is burdened with all the planning.
When one person expects to be paid, it drives the cost up for those activities and more. Why should I offer an activity at my house for free for your kids if you are doing your activities for profit. I know I 'could' ask for payment but I won't because it's not what this community is about.
I expressed my concerns to this mother but I doubt much will be done. As a society we all speak in dollars and cents. Suddenly everything that was once benevolent is tainted. My attempts to keep our homeschooling community healthy is all for naught because someone has decided it is not enough to do it for the kids, she must get paid for it too.
I am afraid "community" has gone the way of the dinosaur. Today the idea of doing things for personal reasons outweighs the need to function as a village thus creating an isolating existence where each person is only in it for themselves. I want to be proven wrong but each day my hopes diminish and I am reminded that personal profit is the new god.
Showing posts with label philosophy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label philosophy. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Quiet Time
I am weary of people who always look busy, or those who constantly remind me how busy they are. As a society we tend to equate busy with important, as if being busy meant our lives carry meaning and worth. We see a busy person as productive and assign a value or level of worth to that person. We dismiss those who take on a slower pace. We honk horns at the slow drivers. We cut corners to get the job done faster. We place a greater value on speed and activity than we do on mindfulness and solitude.
The fact that one is constantly moving, creating, accomplishing does little to distinguish them from another slower paced person. Often times this projection of perpetual motion is a play produced for the rest of us. It creates an illusion of importance, a mask of meaning.
My life is busy but I do not mean 'in motion'. My mind is busy and I don't use my outer world and its schedules, organized groups and endless movement to dampen the progress of the mind. When I am alone and remain quiet, my thoughts invade my space. They remind me of uncomfortable things sometimes. Words I have said and now regret. Actions I now wish I could undo. In those quiet hours when my body is still and my lips silent, I am made uncomfortable by the ceaseless internal chatter which dissects my life and the world around me. The choices, good and bad, that I have made become highlighted in my mind. When I try to force myself to think of other things, happier things, I fail. Squelching these patterns of thought gives me a fleeting peace that will once again become disturbed. I may become saddened, worried or regretful and this can be uncomfortable.
For some reason, people avoid things that make them uncomfortable. Society has taught us distraction is okay, that escapism is ideal.
Life can be uncomfortable. This is what separates the strong from the weak. We are strong when we can face our demons, our shadow personalities, and recognize the faults within us. We can hush this part of life with television, media, hundreds of friends on our facebook friends list, but this noise will do nothing to advance our internal selves. The noise detracts from our internal processes and we can become stagnant, unmoved, unchanged. We become inanimate and robotic, living our lives as dictated to us by society as a whole.
But when we clear our calendars and excuse ourselves from the constant barrage of obligation, our lives take on greater meaning. Once we walk the uneasy walk, meet our shadows head on, we become quiet in mind and body. Stress is reduced. Things start to become accomplished and we begin to see a peak in productivity. When we are no longer made numb by screens, noise and chatter that is when we truly become free.
The fact that one is constantly moving, creating, accomplishing does little to distinguish them from another slower paced person. Often times this projection of perpetual motion is a play produced for the rest of us. It creates an illusion of importance, a mask of meaning.
My life is busy but I do not mean 'in motion'. My mind is busy and I don't use my outer world and its schedules, organized groups and endless movement to dampen the progress of the mind. When I am alone and remain quiet, my thoughts invade my space. They remind me of uncomfortable things sometimes. Words I have said and now regret. Actions I now wish I could undo. In those quiet hours when my body is still and my lips silent, I am made uncomfortable by the ceaseless internal chatter which dissects my life and the world around me. The choices, good and bad, that I have made become highlighted in my mind. When I try to force myself to think of other things, happier things, I fail. Squelching these patterns of thought gives me a fleeting peace that will once again become disturbed. I may become saddened, worried or regretful and this can be uncomfortable.
For some reason, people avoid things that make them uncomfortable. Society has taught us distraction is okay, that escapism is ideal.
Life can be uncomfortable. This is what separates the strong from the weak. We are strong when we can face our demons, our shadow personalities, and recognize the faults within us. We can hush this part of life with television, media, hundreds of friends on our facebook friends list, but this noise will do nothing to advance our internal selves. The noise detracts from our internal processes and we can become stagnant, unmoved, unchanged. We become inanimate and robotic, living our lives as dictated to us by society as a whole.
But when we clear our calendars and excuse ourselves from the constant barrage of obligation, our lives take on greater meaning. Once we walk the uneasy walk, meet our shadows head on, we become quiet in mind and body. Stress is reduced. Things start to become accomplished and we begin to see a peak in productivity. When we are no longer made numb by screens, noise and chatter that is when we truly become free.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
TV Culture
My morning started with a 8 year old boy reduced to tears and clutching his ear. He and his sister have had a doozy of a head cold for the last four days so it didn't surprise me that he had developed an ear infection. I tried drops that we had here at the house but judging from his cries they were not working so off to the walk in clinic we went.
The wait was long, over an hour but for the forty or so chairs that were filled with bodies the wait wasn't so bad. They had their television. A large screen tv was mounted to the wall, locked on a particular channel (not even a Canadian one) and everyone was content to stare up at it for hours on end, not matter what ridiculous day time program was running. I also noticed most of the people were middle aged and younger.
The same was true for the waiting room at the hospital when I went in for my surgery last week. That time I did watch, but who could blame me, my favourite show Road To Avonlea was on. Not as many people paid attention in that waiting room though. The average age must have been over 55 (myself the only exception). I wonder if it's a generational thing. Because anyone in the forties or under would have grown up with television, even raised their own kids with the devise as babysitter.
I love movies, and the odd program and for 4 years we lived without cable preferring to search out certain shows on the internet. Over recent years our rooster of preferred shows kept getting longer and longer. Television stations were adding innumerable programs to their websites allowing us to watch what we wanted, when we wanted and our daily average kept getting higher and higher. When we moved here we caved under the pressure of climbing bandwidth charges from our internet provider and ordered cable.
I try to keep TV watching at bay but admit I am weak. I could do better. In some ways I wish I could go back to four years ago when we ditched cable with defiance and gave the kids a book when they said they were bored. To be honest, I like TV but it concerns me that doctors waiting rooms, restaurants and mini vans are becoming acceptable places for screen time. What happened to the good old game of "I spy" while waiting for the doctor? Or pre-planning and bringing a book? Maybe, just maybe we could also become better at talking to each other, instead of looking up in the corner slack-jawed and bug-eyed.
We are one step closer to turning into that Wall-E movie, cruising around on hovering chairs, illumiinated screens two inches from our faces and a gigantic soda at our side. When will enough be enough?
The wait was long, over an hour but for the forty or so chairs that were filled with bodies the wait wasn't so bad. They had their television. A large screen tv was mounted to the wall, locked on a particular channel (not even a Canadian one) and everyone was content to stare up at it for hours on end, not matter what ridiculous day time program was running. I also noticed most of the people were middle aged and younger.
The same was true for the waiting room at the hospital when I went in for my surgery last week. That time I did watch, but who could blame me, my favourite show Road To Avonlea was on. Not as many people paid attention in that waiting room though. The average age must have been over 55 (myself the only exception). I wonder if it's a generational thing. Because anyone in the forties or under would have grown up with television, even raised their own kids with the devise as babysitter.
I love movies, and the odd program and for 4 years we lived without cable preferring to search out certain shows on the internet. Over recent years our rooster of preferred shows kept getting longer and longer. Television stations were adding innumerable programs to their websites allowing us to watch what we wanted, when we wanted and our daily average kept getting higher and higher. When we moved here we caved under the pressure of climbing bandwidth charges from our internet provider and ordered cable.
I try to keep TV watching at bay but admit I am weak. I could do better. In some ways I wish I could go back to four years ago when we ditched cable with defiance and gave the kids a book when they said they were bored. To be honest, I like TV but it concerns me that doctors waiting rooms, restaurants and mini vans are becoming acceptable places for screen time. What happened to the good old game of "I spy" while waiting for the doctor? Or pre-planning and bringing a book? Maybe, just maybe we could also become better at talking to each other, instead of looking up in the corner slack-jawed and bug-eyed.
We are one step closer to turning into that Wall-E movie, cruising around on hovering chairs, illumiinated screens two inches from our faces and a gigantic soda at our side. When will enough be enough?
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Making Do
Have you ever seen the television show "Till Debt Do Us Part." I enjoyed it while my husband and I were struggling to make end meet and I enjoy it now that we have some better fortune. It's a show about a married couple who are usually deep in debt because of consumer spending and bad financial habits. Gayle, the shows host and financial expert, assesses the situation, identified cracks in the couples budgets and shines a blaring spotlight on why these couples can't seem to make ends meet. These families usually have healthy incomes but for some reason their spending is out of control.
For the show it usually means the couple must do a few things. Write up a budget, learn to communicate and learn to live within their means. There's no fancy formula, no get rich quick scheme. It's just plain old work and reality.
I think it's the reality part that most people struggle with. We see commercials and magazine articles with glossy pictures that give the impression that most people live like this or should aspire to live like this. The reality is most people don't live with all the bells and whistles but nor should we be made to think we have to. We can have a fulfilling life without a brand new kitchen or professionally designed home.
In reality making do and living within our means often translates into waiting to purchase something, even if we think we need to have it now. I was a professional photographer for a few years doing weddings and family portraits. The equipment is expensive so I concentrated on using available light and natural landscapes. When I became a homeschooler I kind of phased that activity out of my life at about the same time digital cameras were becoming more and more advanced.
I was still using film until two years ago when my Single Lens Reflex camera batteries were becoming harder and harder to find. I shifted to digital but at the time, with my husband in college, I could only afford a rudimentary point and shoot. It was a hard adjustment. I knew I could create better shots with a real camera but also knew in reality a digital SLR was out of reach. I had to make do. I have known other professionals who have said "once you go SLR, you can never go back." Had I subscribed to this I would have amassed more debt than I was willing to be responsible for. I would have paid twice as much for the camera by the time I paid off my credit card only now the camera would be old and I would still be on the debt treadmill. Sometimes you have to live within your means and make do so you can reap the benefits later.
I bought a new digital SLR a few weeks ago and I am falling in love with photography all over again. A little patience paid off because now I have exactly what I want and didn't have to pay extra in interest to get it.
It takes work and perseverance to stay within your means. But the rewards are far greater than simply buying on a whim. This applies to so many other areas of life; dieting, education and many others. A little work now will mean a big difference later.
For the show it usually means the couple must do a few things. Write up a budget, learn to communicate and learn to live within their means. There's no fancy formula, no get rich quick scheme. It's just plain old work and reality.
I think it's the reality part that most people struggle with. We see commercials and magazine articles with glossy pictures that give the impression that most people live like this or should aspire to live like this. The reality is most people don't live with all the bells and whistles but nor should we be made to think we have to. We can have a fulfilling life without a brand new kitchen or professionally designed home.
In reality making do and living within our means often translates into waiting to purchase something, even if we think we need to have it now. I was a professional photographer for a few years doing weddings and family portraits. The equipment is expensive so I concentrated on using available light and natural landscapes. When I became a homeschooler I kind of phased that activity out of my life at about the same time digital cameras were becoming more and more advanced.
I was still using film until two years ago when my Single Lens Reflex camera batteries were becoming harder and harder to find. I shifted to digital but at the time, with my husband in college, I could only afford a rudimentary point and shoot. It was a hard adjustment. I knew I could create better shots with a real camera but also knew in reality a digital SLR was out of reach. I had to make do. I have known other professionals who have said "once you go SLR, you can never go back." Had I subscribed to this I would have amassed more debt than I was willing to be responsible for. I would have paid twice as much for the camera by the time I paid off my credit card only now the camera would be old and I would still be on the debt treadmill. Sometimes you have to live within your means and make do so you can reap the benefits later.
I bought a new digital SLR a few weeks ago and I am falling in love with photography all over again. A little patience paid off because now I have exactly what I want and didn't have to pay extra in interest to get it.
It takes work and perseverance to stay within your means. But the rewards are far greater than simply buying on a whim. This applies to so many other areas of life; dieting, education and many others. A little work now will mean a big difference later.
Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Almost 50
I need one more follower to make my number a clean 50 people, who read regularly, enjoy my articles and perhaps feel the way I do about living life.
I started this blog at the tail end of 2008 and wondered exactly who would give a crud about what I write and share. Followers are a nice reminder that people are interested. Comments let me know that people are reading.
There have been over 7,000 page views since Blogger started tracking stats for me.
One person told me that blogs are merely brag-fests with pictures. Perhaps they are right. But perhaps not. I write because I have so much to say and I think there might be others trying the same things, attacking the same problems or enjoying the same simple life.
I don't mean to brag. I know I lead a pretty blessed life. Perhaps this blog is less about bragging and more about sharing. What I plant, how I bake, the short cuts I have found. I read other blogs for those reasons, not to hit myself in the head because someone has it better than me or comes up with better ideas.
I almost ended this blog recently. After the move, I wasn't feeling it anymore. My life has changed so dramatically from the vision I had set out to achieve (in 2008)when I started. Part of me felt I wasn't being truthful. That I was hiding something. The truth is, I have evolved. Slowly but surely. Little by little. Day by day. I have changed. My goals, dreams and aspirations change, like everyone else and the blog is a mere reflection of those evolving projects and ideas.
I am glad I didn't do away with this blog. I am glad I can continue to share my journey with you all.
Now...how do I go about getting one more follower?
I started this blog at the tail end of 2008 and wondered exactly who would give a crud about what I write and share. Followers are a nice reminder that people are interested. Comments let me know that people are reading.
There have been over 7,000 page views since Blogger started tracking stats for me.
One person told me that blogs are merely brag-fests with pictures. Perhaps they are right. But perhaps not. I write because I have so much to say and I think there might be others trying the same things, attacking the same problems or enjoying the same simple life.
I don't mean to brag. I know I lead a pretty blessed life. Perhaps this blog is less about bragging and more about sharing. What I plant, how I bake, the short cuts I have found. I read other blogs for those reasons, not to hit myself in the head because someone has it better than me or comes up with better ideas.
I almost ended this blog recently. After the move, I wasn't feeling it anymore. My life has changed so dramatically from the vision I had set out to achieve (in 2008)when I started. Part of me felt I wasn't being truthful. That I was hiding something. The truth is, I have evolved. Slowly but surely. Little by little. Day by day. I have changed. My goals, dreams and aspirations change, like everyone else and the blog is a mere reflection of those evolving projects and ideas.
I am glad I didn't do away with this blog. I am glad I can continue to share my journey with you all.
Now...how do I go about getting one more follower?
Friday, December 10, 2010
For What It's Worth
Sometimes a little goal writing is just what the therapist ordered...in this case my Realtor. At least it's what she would order if I told her why I am having such a hard time committing to buying a house. I have been in a period of transition this past summer. A time when everything I thought I knew, cared about and dreamed up started to morph and change and mutate into completely different and highly unexpected things.
A year ago I would have told you very clearly about my dream to homestead, to live completely 100 per cent off the land, with a small herd of sheep, a thousand miles away from everyone and anyone. A year ago I could dream anything I wanted because dreams are just dreams. My reality is completely different.
I have decided to write down my priorities in order of importance so that I may better understand my life path and where I should go from here.
What Matters Most
1. Financial Independence. I want to owe as little money as possible. Neither borrower nor lender be. No credit cards, no loans, only the most minimal borrowing required to secure a solid home investment with the quickest possible payment schedule. This will require some frugal finesse of course but I am up for the challenge.
2. My Passion. I have a passion for creative writing that has taken a backseat for many years. I have dabbled and flirted a bit with the idea of being a writer, a real novelist who actually finishes a book to near perfection and gets it published. There is a fire inside me that truly must be fed. I can not deny this part of me any longer.
3. Natural living. I want to live close the nature. I want to see birds at my windows and flowers in my garden. I want to eat from my backyard, literally and figuratively. I want to eat local when possible and preserve my harvest. I want to learn all I can about cooking with the seasons and extending the growing season.
4. Family and Friends. Realistically family is my absolute number one, without question. However that seems more a of given. I am a woman who is greatly dedicated to my family. Friends however is something I want to encourage more of. I want to have people over. Develop close friendships. I want to create roots in my community and begin to feel like I belong here instead of thinking it's a way station until we get to where we are really headed. This is integral to creating a home.
5. Green Living. I want to lessen my foot print. I want to make environmental choices because it's the right thing to do. I want to consume less, grow more and really examine my needs as opposed to wants.
What Matters Least (...to me anyways)
1. Raising Animals. I no longer desire to keep animals. The benefit of raising animals for meat is greatly outweighed by the cost to house, feed and care for their upkeep. It is far more efficient for me to pay an expert, local farmer for his/her expertise because that is their job, livelihood and most likely their passion.
2. Growing Absolutely Everything. In this day and age, this is not necessary. Technology has made it so that individually we need not toil independently but work collectively. I can trade my skills for money which I can use in turn to pay another person for their skills. This is where self-sufficiency gets taken off my list of goals.
3. Rural Homesteading. I have decided I don't want to homestead in the traditional sense. Urban homesteading, if it really qualifies as that (which I highly doubt) is much more my style whether I live in the country or not, I am not seeking a self sufficient farm.
This process of looking for a house, holding hard and fast to dreams that no longer hold a flame in me, has been very much a learning experience. I have learned that by letting go of certain dreams and moving on towards others is very liberating. Buying a home is a huge step but it's one that I never thought would teach me so much.
Now would someone please tell me which house I should buy so I can get this show on the road? If only it were that easy.
A year ago I would have told you very clearly about my dream to homestead, to live completely 100 per cent off the land, with a small herd of sheep, a thousand miles away from everyone and anyone. A year ago I could dream anything I wanted because dreams are just dreams. My reality is completely different.
I have decided to write down my priorities in order of importance so that I may better understand my life path and where I should go from here.
What Matters Most
1. Financial Independence. I want to owe as little money as possible. Neither borrower nor lender be. No credit cards, no loans, only the most minimal borrowing required to secure a solid home investment with the quickest possible payment schedule. This will require some frugal finesse of course but I am up for the challenge.
2. My Passion. I have a passion for creative writing that has taken a backseat for many years. I have dabbled and flirted a bit with the idea of being a writer, a real novelist who actually finishes a book to near perfection and gets it published. There is a fire inside me that truly must be fed. I can not deny this part of me any longer.
3. Natural living. I want to live close the nature. I want to see birds at my windows and flowers in my garden. I want to eat from my backyard, literally and figuratively. I want to eat local when possible and preserve my harvest. I want to learn all I can about cooking with the seasons and extending the growing season.
4. Family and Friends. Realistically family is my absolute number one, without question. However that seems more a of given. I am a woman who is greatly dedicated to my family. Friends however is something I want to encourage more of. I want to have people over. Develop close friendships. I want to create roots in my community and begin to feel like I belong here instead of thinking it's a way station until we get to where we are really headed. This is integral to creating a home.
5. Green Living. I want to lessen my foot print. I want to make environmental choices because it's the right thing to do. I want to consume less, grow more and really examine my needs as opposed to wants.
What Matters Least (...to me anyways)
1. Raising Animals. I no longer desire to keep animals. The benefit of raising animals for meat is greatly outweighed by the cost to house, feed and care for their upkeep. It is far more efficient for me to pay an expert, local farmer for his/her expertise because that is their job, livelihood and most likely their passion.
2. Growing Absolutely Everything. In this day and age, this is not necessary. Technology has made it so that individually we need not toil independently but work collectively. I can trade my skills for money which I can use in turn to pay another person for their skills. This is where self-sufficiency gets taken off my list of goals.
3. Rural Homesteading. I have decided I don't want to homestead in the traditional sense. Urban homesteading, if it really qualifies as that (which I highly doubt) is much more my style whether I live in the country or not, I am not seeking a self sufficient farm.
This process of looking for a house, holding hard and fast to dreams that no longer hold a flame in me, has been very much a learning experience. I have learned that by letting go of certain dreams and moving on towards others is very liberating. Buying a home is a huge step but it's one that I never thought would teach me so much.
Now would someone please tell me which house I should buy so I can get this show on the road? If only it were that easy.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Hectic Summer Daze
Summer brings a big to do list. Everything from prep and plant the gardens. Weed. Can. Freeze. Take Kids to Park. Go to Beach. Take Kids to Soccer Practice. Plan Camping Trip. Go to the Drive In... summer has it share of hectic days and lazy days, sometimes a day can be both lazy AND hectic.
As a family we do more in summer. Living in the northern hemisphere means we are not guaranteed a whole lot of summer. There's a radio commercial on all the time that states we have 95 days of summer, and 270 days of winter! That's not entirely true, however after a seemingly long March filled with blizzards and freezing rain we often wonder if spring will ever arrive.
Canada is usually perceived as being this northern tundra way up there. I have heard of southern tourists arriving in the Toronto airport with skis...in JULY!! This maybe an exaggeration but I was once in the United States in August when someone from New York state said to me, "Well, you have snow in your country right now..." Ummm, what?! No...it's August, my dear. You live about 300 miles from me and you can't figure out how our shared climate works. The Canadian border is not some magic line that separates the barren hinterland from the balmy south.
However winters can feel extremely long. I do not do much driving or traveling or much of anything away from the home in winter. Not because I can't but simply because I don't want to. Winter is my calm time. My time in the home where I am warm and toasty.
Summer is my running time. In addition to my gardening and preserving, I make it a point to do many, many day trips with the kids. We are in the park at least once a week, the beach as well. Sometimes both in the same day. I usually spend a lot more time in my car visiting farmer's markets and farm stands, collecting fruit and veggies to put by for the winter. My son's sport is soccer and this year he is on a traveling team. We may not do much in the way of "book work" for homeschooling but there are still homeschool friends to meet up with, play dates to go on and of course the slue of birthday parties and barbecues.
Summer is a wonderful time of year. I enjoy it's hectic days. After a seemingly long winter at home summer is a welcome change of pace. By October I am ready for a reprieve. I like to slow things down. The kids hunker down at the books. I get working on Christmas plans and complete the final touches on the pantry. In the fall I may even find myself in a more creative mood than any other time of year. Each season has it's own pace and style.
Some days in summer I'd like to call "Uncle!". Those are the days when I am pulled in multiple directions and wondering why in the heck do I do this to myself? Why do I need to can 24 jars of tomatoes? Then I remember, I actually don't need to can 24 jars of tomatoes but I want to. Being busy in summer does not mean I am not living simply. My priorities are still in tact. Simplicity does not mean in activity. It means concentrating your time, energy and resources to the things that truly matter to you. Those things will change throughout the year but it doesn't need to change your priorities. It's just the way of the seasons. I will have my rest soon enough.
As a family we do more in summer. Living in the northern hemisphere means we are not guaranteed a whole lot of summer. There's a radio commercial on all the time that states we have 95 days of summer, and 270 days of winter! That's not entirely true, however after a seemingly long March filled with blizzards and freezing rain we often wonder if spring will ever arrive.
Canada is usually perceived as being this northern tundra way up there. I have heard of southern tourists arriving in the Toronto airport with skis...in JULY!! This maybe an exaggeration but I was once in the United States in August when someone from New York state said to me, "Well, you have snow in your country right now..." Ummm, what?! No...it's August, my dear. You live about 300 miles from me and you can't figure out how our shared climate works. The Canadian border is not some magic line that separates the barren hinterland from the balmy south.
However winters can feel extremely long. I do not do much driving or traveling or much of anything away from the home in winter. Not because I can't but simply because I don't want to. Winter is my calm time. My time in the home where I am warm and toasty.
Summer is my running time. In addition to my gardening and preserving, I make it a point to do many, many day trips with the kids. We are in the park at least once a week, the beach as well. Sometimes both in the same day. I usually spend a lot more time in my car visiting farmer's markets and farm stands, collecting fruit and veggies to put by for the winter. My son's sport is soccer and this year he is on a traveling team. We may not do much in the way of "book work" for homeschooling but there are still homeschool friends to meet up with, play dates to go on and of course the slue of birthday parties and barbecues.
Summer is a wonderful time of year. I enjoy it's hectic days. After a seemingly long winter at home summer is a welcome change of pace. By October I am ready for a reprieve. I like to slow things down. The kids hunker down at the books. I get working on Christmas plans and complete the final touches on the pantry. In the fall I may even find myself in a more creative mood than any other time of year. Each season has it's own pace and style.
Some days in summer I'd like to call "Uncle!". Those are the days when I am pulled in multiple directions and wondering why in the heck do I do this to myself? Why do I need to can 24 jars of tomatoes? Then I remember, I actually don't need to can 24 jars of tomatoes but I want to. Being busy in summer does not mean I am not living simply. My priorities are still in tact. Simplicity does not mean in activity. It means concentrating your time, energy and resources to the things that truly matter to you. Those things will change throughout the year but it doesn't need to change your priorities. It's just the way of the seasons. I will have my rest soon enough.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Church of Eco-Sinners
Going green is the new buzz phase, almost as catchy as being "born again". For some, being environmentally friendly has taken on new heights. Many years ago, I took it as my personal mission to save the planet. I figured at least I could make some choices for my kids so I could absolve myself of any guilt I may encounter later in life. I didn't want to have to explain to my grandchild why I didn't at least try something.
Anyone who knows me, knows I do nothing halfway. Suffice to say, I became eco-obsessed. I devoured any literature I could find on the subject and began making little changes all the while preparing for my big, off the grid, hippie leap out of the consumer driven world. For the most part, it's still my goal.
But as I delved deeper into the green (under)world I noticed more and more inconsistencies. For example, many eco-aholics promote vegetarianism as a way to save the planet. It prevents gases from cattle manure, saves prime produce producing farmland and forests from being used for pasture. In general, vegetarianism improves our overall health. All mighty goals. Other Green Guru's swear by eating locally, and supporting neighbourhood producers. Also a noble goal.
Both have inherit flaws.
For one, vegetarians in the northern hemisphere require a varied diet that is not available locally in the cold winter months, thus relying on carbon emitting transport to bring in all those vegetables they are consuming. In essence, the strict vegetarian is causing huge gaping holes in the ozone and causing the greenhouse effect. Where as meat-atarians are doing the same buy consuming meat causing methane gas distribution and prime farmland loss. Who is the real eco-sinner? The vegetarians forced to eat foods grown thousands of miles away or the omnivore who consumes locally grown fayre which is far less efficient to produce?
I have come to the conclusion that we are ALL eco-sinners. Some more than others. Some are very much aware of their sins, while others remain blissfully ignorant.
Some city dwellers do not even own a car, preferring public transportation and pedal power to get them from point A to B, all the while cranking their heat in their gas furnace rather than putting on a sweater in the winter time. Some country dwellers drive huge gas guzzlers but grow so much of their own food they hardly ever need to go to the grocery store to buy food. These scenarios are real. Somewhere in all this we need to figure out what is best for us and the world we live in.
In the meantime, amateur environmentalists and closet eco-sinners (namely bloggers) post freely all their advice and wisdom, wagging their cyber fingers at unsuspecting readers. You are an eco-sinner because you don't use their brand of all natural shampoo. You are an ignorant eco-sinner for not knowing that chemical XYZ exist in that sneaker on your child's foot. You are not as good as them because they have it all figured out and quite frankly...you are severely lacking.
I follow at least 50 blogs. Many are like me, moms trying out new ways to raise a family without breaking the bank or the planet. Sometimes we succeed and sometimes we flop. We are human after all, and no one is perfect. However I have noticed a few who stand out more than the average. These are the self-righteous, sanctimonious super moms who have it all going on (all that and a bag of organic, all natural veggie chips). They make the rest of us crunchy moms look like Hummer driving, polyester wearing, bottle feeding, live-in nanny employers.
These people make it seem like they know exactly what you and you and you and I need to do to make our homes and families healthy and free of eco-guilt. The planet would be saved if we all just did it their way. In some ways, they are right but there's a few flaws. For one, I don't live in Australia. For another, I don't have a huge savings account and I really don't want to swear off shampoo, deodorant and my feminine razor, thank you very much! I just want to be me, not them. I want stuff that will work for me. What Suzy Q, or Jane Doe, or Johnny Come-Lately do may not be helpful to me and I should not be made to feel like an inadequate, wannabe environmentalist for not doing it their way. And I am sick and tired of reading posts about how everyone is Doing It Wrong!!
Deep breath.
Okay. So with that said, I want to apologize if I have ever made anyone feel guilty or inadequate for what I have posted here. At my heart, I am just trying to share what works for my family and I am very much aware that what I do may not be for everyone. I hope that I have showcased a middle path free of finger wagging and self-righteous indignation. If I have not being so Zen, then I apologize, repent my self-righteous sins and promise I will try harder from here on out. Amen.
Anyone who knows me, knows I do nothing halfway. Suffice to say, I became eco-obsessed. I devoured any literature I could find on the subject and began making little changes all the while preparing for my big, off the grid, hippie leap out of the consumer driven world. For the most part, it's still my goal.
But as I delved deeper into the green (under)world I noticed more and more inconsistencies. For example, many eco-aholics promote vegetarianism as a way to save the planet. It prevents gases from cattle manure, saves prime produce producing farmland and forests from being used for pasture. In general, vegetarianism improves our overall health. All mighty goals. Other Green Guru's swear by eating locally, and supporting neighbourhood producers. Also a noble goal.
Both have inherit flaws.
For one, vegetarians in the northern hemisphere require a varied diet that is not available locally in the cold winter months, thus relying on carbon emitting transport to bring in all those vegetables they are consuming. In essence, the strict vegetarian is causing huge gaping holes in the ozone and causing the greenhouse effect. Where as meat-atarians are doing the same buy consuming meat causing methane gas distribution and prime farmland loss. Who is the real eco-sinner? The vegetarians forced to eat foods grown thousands of miles away or the omnivore who consumes locally grown fayre which is far less efficient to produce?
I have come to the conclusion that we are ALL eco-sinners. Some more than others. Some are very much aware of their sins, while others remain blissfully ignorant.
Some city dwellers do not even own a car, preferring public transportation and pedal power to get them from point A to B, all the while cranking their heat in their gas furnace rather than putting on a sweater in the winter time. Some country dwellers drive huge gas guzzlers but grow so much of their own food they hardly ever need to go to the grocery store to buy food. These scenarios are real. Somewhere in all this we need to figure out what is best for us and the world we live in.
In the meantime, amateur environmentalists and closet eco-sinners (namely bloggers) post freely all their advice and wisdom, wagging their cyber fingers at unsuspecting readers. You are an eco-sinner because you don't use their brand of all natural shampoo. You are an ignorant eco-sinner for not knowing that chemical XYZ exist in that sneaker on your child's foot. You are not as good as them because they have it all figured out and quite frankly...you are severely lacking.
I follow at least 50 blogs. Many are like me, moms trying out new ways to raise a family without breaking the bank or the planet. Sometimes we succeed and sometimes we flop. We are human after all, and no one is perfect. However I have noticed a few who stand out more than the average. These are the self-righteous, sanctimonious super moms who have it all going on (all that and a bag of organic, all natural veggie chips). They make the rest of us crunchy moms look like Hummer driving, polyester wearing, bottle feeding, live-in nanny employers.
These people make it seem like they know exactly what you and you and you and I need to do to make our homes and families healthy and free of eco-guilt. The planet would be saved if we all just did it their way. In some ways, they are right but there's a few flaws. For one, I don't live in Australia. For another, I don't have a huge savings account and I really don't want to swear off shampoo, deodorant and my feminine razor, thank you very much! I just want to be me, not them. I want stuff that will work for me. What Suzy Q, or Jane Doe, or Johnny Come-Lately do may not be helpful to me and I should not be made to feel like an inadequate, wannabe environmentalist for not doing it their way. And I am sick and tired of reading posts about how everyone is Doing It Wrong!!
Deep breath.
Okay. So with that said, I want to apologize if I have ever made anyone feel guilty or inadequate for what I have posted here. At my heart, I am just trying to share what works for my family and I am very much aware that what I do may not be for everyone. I hope that I have showcased a middle path free of finger wagging and self-righteous indignation. If I have not being so Zen, then I apologize, repent my self-righteous sins and promise I will try harder from here on out. Amen.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Simplicity and You
I wanted to write a post a few weeks back about Earth Day. I wanted to give tips and hints, and examples on the types of things I do to keep my foot print small but my enjoyment of life big. Had I written such a post it would have contained pointers on composting, recycling, forgoing bottled water for reusable canteens. I would have written about choosing organic when possible, or walking instead of driving. In essence it would have been very similar to all the other Earth Day posts and articles that spring up this time of year. I doubted my followers would enjoy redundancy from me so I sat on it, and gave further thought to my efforts to be Mean Green World Saving Machine.
The answer to saving the planet can be found in simplicity. Simplicity is the act of doing less to derive more enjoyment from those things that truly matter to you. For example, I choose to make my own laundry soap, bake my own bread and shop at thrift stores so I can have the luxury of staying home, something that truly matters to me. I forgo trendy shops and frequent trips to the mall so that I can find better enjoyment from the few things I do buy. I stay home often on weekends. I read books from the library. I go for walks with the kids. I work in my garden. All these things are enjoyable to me in a way that schleping my kids to daycare so I can go to work, running my kids from here to there or throwing a boxed meal into the oven just isn't.
Earth Day should not be about what you do, it should be about what you don't do. I think if people realized the impact of passive earth awareness they would see a much greater impact than the active strategies being put forth by the media. There have been an abundance of eco-friendly products popping up in the market. While I am glad to see mainstream getting on board I can see it for what it truly is...another way for people to spend money, consume and never change their lifestyle one darn bit. Companies are created to make money and eco-friendly is what is selling right now. The average person needs to understand that the very act of NOT buying is better than buying all those products and bringing them home.
Forget the green cleaners, the toys made from recycled materials and the hemp t-shirt. Unless these things are truly a need, people who buy them are just as bad as the person buying t-shirts made in a sweat shop. As a civilization we need to bring things back to basics.
We need to instill this mantra in our kids:
That is the key to saving the planet. That is the key to better fulfillment. Learn what is that makes you truly happy and concentrate on that. By focusing on those truly enjoyable things you won't have a need for the other fillers in your life. Save the planet. Live Simply.
The answer to saving the planet can be found in simplicity. Simplicity is the act of doing less to derive more enjoyment from those things that truly matter to you. For example, I choose to make my own laundry soap, bake my own bread and shop at thrift stores so I can have the luxury of staying home, something that truly matters to me. I forgo trendy shops and frequent trips to the mall so that I can find better enjoyment from the few things I do buy. I stay home often on weekends. I read books from the library. I go for walks with the kids. I work in my garden. All these things are enjoyable to me in a way that schleping my kids to daycare so I can go to work, running my kids from here to there or throwing a boxed meal into the oven just isn't.
Earth Day should not be about what you do, it should be about what you don't do. I think if people realized the impact of passive earth awareness they would see a much greater impact than the active strategies being put forth by the media. There have been an abundance of eco-friendly products popping up in the market. While I am glad to see mainstream getting on board I can see it for what it truly is...another way for people to spend money, consume and never change their lifestyle one darn bit. Companies are created to make money and eco-friendly is what is selling right now. The average person needs to understand that the very act of NOT buying is better than buying all those products and bringing them home.
Forget the green cleaners, the toys made from recycled materials and the hemp t-shirt. Unless these things are truly a need, people who buy them are just as bad as the person buying t-shirts made in a sweat shop. As a civilization we need to bring things back to basics.
We need to instill this mantra in our kids:
Use it Up,
Wear it Out,
Make Do,
Do Without
That is the key to saving the planet. That is the key to better fulfillment. Learn what is that makes you truly happy and concentrate on that. By focusing on those truly enjoyable things you won't have a need for the other fillers in your life. Save the planet. Live Simply.
Monday, March 1, 2010
The Blue Castle and Simplicity
Yesterday I finished reading The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I love Montgomery's work and this one is by far my absolute favourite. I read this book for the first time three years ago when I first began my simplicity journey. I didn't realize it then but the reason why I love this book so much is because it's a representation of the life I would like to live.
Looking over the lake at a large mansion Barney and Valancy have this conversation...
And so Valancy is right. The burdens of a big house and a big life to match are plentiful. A grand house requires money, time and energy. A life oozing possessions is a life of servitude to clean and care for them. A minimalist life is one of freedom to pursue your passions.
If you know a bit about L.M. Montgomery you know that she loved her Prince Edward Island above any other place in the entire world. After she married and left the Island she never did return. While living in Ontario she discovered Muskoka, around here known as Cottage Country where people come up from Southern Ontario and Toronto to spend the summer. She found this section of the world strikingly beautiful as well. So enamored was she that she ventured to set one book outside of PEI and that book was the Blue Castle. Obviously she held the region in very high regard.
This book is a venture in homesteading and self sufficiency. Montgomery's character Valancy retreats from the town and her oppressive clan to find a life of peace and tranquility in the forest she loved. While living "Up Back" Valancy found her Blue Castle living amongst nature; the water, the trees, the rocks and wildlife. She ventured into town when need arose but for the most part she stayed at home with her books, her companion, her cats and the life purposely and deliberately chosen.
I wonder if L.M. Montgomery ever dreamed of such a life. My guess is she probably did, and it is from her own desires to turn her back on modern society (and the burdens she bore from it) that the story "The Blue Castle" was born.
Looking over the lake at a large mansion Barney and Valancy have this conversation...
"Would you like a large house like that, Moonlight?" Barney asked once, waving his hand at it. He had taken to calling Valancy Moonlight and she loved it.
"No," said Valacny, who had once dreamed of a mountain castle ten times the size of the rich man's cottage and now pitied the poor inhabitants of palaces. "No, it's too elegant. I would have to carry it with m everywhere I went. On my back like a snail. It would own me, possess me, body and soul. I like a house I can love and cuddle and boss. Just like ours here. I don't envy Hamilton Gossard 'the finest summer residence in Canada.' It is magnificent but it isn't my Blue Castle.
And so Valancy is right. The burdens of a big house and a big life to match are plentiful. A grand house requires money, time and energy. A life oozing possessions is a life of servitude to clean and care for them. A minimalist life is one of freedom to pursue your passions.
If you know a bit about L.M. Montgomery you know that she loved her Prince Edward Island above any other place in the entire world. After she married and left the Island she never did return. While living in Ontario she discovered Muskoka, around here known as Cottage Country where people come up from Southern Ontario and Toronto to spend the summer. She found this section of the world strikingly beautiful as well. So enamored was she that she ventured to set one book outside of PEI and that book was the Blue Castle. Obviously she held the region in very high regard.
This book is a venture in homesteading and self sufficiency. Montgomery's character Valancy retreats from the town and her oppressive clan to find a life of peace and tranquility in the forest she loved. While living "Up Back" Valancy found her Blue Castle living amongst nature; the water, the trees, the rocks and wildlife. She ventured into town when need arose but for the most part she stayed at home with her books, her companion, her cats and the life purposely and deliberately chosen.
I wonder if L.M. Montgomery ever dreamed of such a life. My guess is she probably did, and it is from her own desires to turn her back on modern society (and the burdens she bore from it) that the story "The Blue Castle" was born.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Staying at Home
Yesterday I posted about the Real Housewives of Orange County, today I am back from fantasyland and will be talking about real bousewives, you know, the kind of woman who acts as cook, chauffer, nanny, maid, guidance counsellor and CEO practically single handedly.
This is not a post about the choice between career and home. There is enough lively debate on the internet about such things. I firmly believe that the feminist movement was a catalyst for choice, whichever you choose. Because of my choice, I will spend most of my time talking about being a stay at home mom, a housewife, or as I like to dubb myself, The House Mouse. I have been on both sides of the counter and for the time being I like being a housewife.
Housewives tend to be underrated in our society. Sometimes they are often viewed with scorn or jealousy. Somewhere in our modern ways of the two-income trap, housewives became associated with luxury. The choice to stay at home, thus foregoing a second income, is out of the realm of possibility for many. There are numerous women out there who have to work. It is because of these women who have to help the family finances, that I feel there is a monocure of luxury involved with being a housewife.
It certainly isn't luxurious by way of work load, or stress or even time to one self. Staying home requires work in that money can often be an issue and moms at home need to be relentless in minding the budget and pursuing money saving activities to keep the home running smoothly. In that respect, it is not luxury.
I often tell my husband that I am spoiled. I am not spoiled in the sense that I get whatever I want, or that I am living the high life. I feel spoiled in that I have a choice. I choose to make laundry soap, cookies and muffins so that our family can survive on less income. I stick to a tight budget and plan menus so I can stay home. I clean toilets, scrub ovens and dust so that the world will be a better place -- okay so I made that last one up.
Being a housewife or stay at home mom can be challenging but it can also be wonderously rewarding. I used to have a career. I worked in newspapers interviewing mayors and town councillors. I was working out of my car and staying up late at night to file a last minute story. I was trying to have it all but it just wasn't working for me. Luckily we were not saddled with a large debt so the choice to stay at home became a simple mathematic equation. Money in, money out. I let go of my career and sought out other creative outlets. In the last three years since I have been strictly a housewife not much has changed.
I still lack a clear direction in my life. I still flip flop about what I would like to do or where exactly I see myself going. But I tell ya for all the uncertainty in my future, I know one thing that will most definitely come to pass; my children will continue to grow day by day. One day, not too soon I hope, I will turn around and they will be fully grown, registering for university and asking to borrow the car. We are on borrowed time and this luxury of staying home will be but a memory. I might as well enjoy this time while it's here even if it means scrubbing a toilet from time to time.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
The Real Housewives
Here we see the Housewife in her natural habitat, a glass of wine pinched between her long slender fingers showing off her manicured (often fake) nails and blinding rings. We see the attention to detail in her bleach blond choif no doubt straightened and sprayed with an interesting array of toxic fixatives. Housewives in this region are often seen wearing Prada, Gucci and Vuitton, often spending thousands of dollars for petrol-derived fabrics and materials. A rare breed, these women are often associated with a self-centred nature and inability to see beyond the gates of their community of million dollar mansions and lifestyle of leisure. This is a stellar find, ladies and gentlemen, a rare glimpse into the lives of these ellusive creatures.
I don't know why I enjoy watching The Real Housewives of Orange County. I laugh at them. Make fun of their selfish children and get a genuine kick out of their stunned faces when any adversity comes their way. Maybe it's my replacement for gossip. Rather than people in real life bearing the brunt of my scorn, I feel no guilt lavishing judgement on these horrendously self-centred women. Call me crazy but given the fact that they signed up for this gig, a job made from being in the spotlight, something tells me they are just dying for attention, good or bad, ergo I do not have to feel guilty.
When I think about it though, this show can be very depressing as well. Here I am, and many others in the voluntary simplicity movement, are making significant changes in our lifestyles to lesson the burden of over consumption on our planet. We "simple people" are foregoing gigantic houses, room-size closets and oddles of bling in an attempt to make a difference in our world. It's show's like this that really put the spotlight on the sabotoagging efforts of others. It goes back to that old quote:
I am under no illusions though. I realize that my choices do not directly benefit have not's in this world. The meat I do not buy is not sent to starving children. The designer clothes I choose to do without do not end up warming someone in need. I make these simple choices for the bigger picture. By not eating supermarket meat, I am telling farming corporations that I would rather eat grains and legumes. By saying no to diamonds from the Congo I am directly refusing to participate in the strife in that region. By making these choices I am creating an effect. Albeit a relatively small effect however if my choices influence the choices of others (through this blog and the relationships I have in real life) it can have an amazing effect on our world over our lifetime.
There will always be high maintenance people, people who chant "Because I deserve it" in their heads whenever guilt over their consumption strikes them. There will always be gluttonous people who think nothing of the effect their purchasing habits has. I can not stop my beliefs because I meet an adversary. I will not stop these changes because the task seems so impossible. I say let these women have their bling, their vacations, their spray on tans, I want a real life, a true existence whether my efforts matter to them or not.
I don't know why I enjoy watching The Real Housewives of Orange County. I laugh at them. Make fun of their selfish children and get a genuine kick out of their stunned faces when any adversity comes their way. Maybe it's my replacement for gossip. Rather than people in real life bearing the brunt of my scorn, I feel no guilt lavishing judgement on these horrendously self-centred women. Call me crazy but given the fact that they signed up for this gig, a job made from being in the spotlight, something tells me they are just dying for attention, good or bad, ergo I do not have to feel guilty.
When I think about it though, this show can be very depressing as well. Here I am, and many others in the voluntary simplicity movement, are making significant changes in our lifestyles to lesson the burden of over consumption on our planet. We "simple people" are foregoing gigantic houses, room-size closets and oddles of bling in an attempt to make a difference in our world. It's show's like this that really put the spotlight on the sabotoagging efforts of others. It goes back to that old quote:
Live simply that others might simply live.~Elizabeth Seaton
I am under no illusions though. I realize that my choices do not directly benefit have not's in this world. The meat I do not buy is not sent to starving children. The designer clothes I choose to do without do not end up warming someone in need. I make these simple choices for the bigger picture. By not eating supermarket meat, I am telling farming corporations that I would rather eat grains and legumes. By saying no to diamonds from the Congo I am directly refusing to participate in the strife in that region. By making these choices I am creating an effect. Albeit a relatively small effect however if my choices influence the choices of others (through this blog and the relationships I have in real life) it can have an amazing effect on our world over our lifetime.
There will always be high maintenance people, people who chant "Because I deserve it" in their heads whenever guilt over their consumption strikes them. There will always be gluttonous people who think nothing of the effect their purchasing habits has. I can not stop my beliefs because I meet an adversary. I will not stop these changes because the task seems so impossible. I say let these women have their bling, their vacations, their spray on tans, I want a real life, a true existence whether my efforts matter to them or not.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Thoughts on Simplicity
Taking the time to slow down and awake your thoughts is a good thing but something that has become highly under rated. Our modern society has become so concern with tangible productivity, we often ignore the barely noticed but more important act of just being.
I was totally engrossed in a book the other day. I had been reading it steadily all afternoon between seeing to the laundry, breaking up squabbles and general household stuff. This book is good, I mean, can't put it down but must get dinner on the stove good.
I loathed to put it down. I did so reluctantly and as I set about to peel potatoes I was trying to conjure a way to prop the book up so I could read and peel at the same time. It took a moment before I realized what a bad idea it was. I don't know about you but I would be apt to slice a digit if I were not watching my fingers. So I abandoned my book, saying a sweet, "I'll see you later" and started the very menial task of peeling potatoes.
I was making Sheppard's pie with the last of the supermarket beef, and so I had double the amount of potatoes to peel than normal. The prospect of spending so much time watching my fingers peel potatoes, a normal, everyday occurrence, was disheartening. As I peeled I thought about how peeling the lowly potato is often viewed as drudgery. A common punishment long ago was peeling potatoes. Sure the task is repetitive. It certainly isn't exciting.
I peeled and thought, and peeled and thought.
Perhaps it is being alone with ones' thoughts that has their skin crawling. As a society we spend so much time trying to save time and then what do we do with it? Fill it of course. The average person allows themselves no time to be alone with their thoughts. Minds are always racing. To do lists are etched in our brains. Standing at the counter cutting potatoes is far less productive than say... surfing the internet.
If we truly allow ourselves the freedom to think about our dreams, our reflections, our actions (past and present) we can often come to deep conclusions about what we really think and feel about things. I imagine our modern society's preoccupation with busy-ness is deeply rooted in our fear of our thoughts. If we stood there for ten minutes peeling potatoes what would we think about? Would we like it? Would our thoughts make us uncomfortable? Upset? Ashamed?
In my view living deliberately is about getting to the center of our souls. Being present in the moment, peeling potatoes is just as valid an activity as reading a book, and just as valid as any number of the busy tasks we assign ourselves. This week, slow down, enjoy your moments where you become lost in thought and see where they will take you.
---- for anyone interested, the book I am reading is Less is More, by Cecile Andrews and Wanda Urbanska. It's a collection of essays from a number of "experts" in Voluntary Simplicity (if there ever could be an expert on such a thing). I have been reading it daily, and dubbed it my daily devotional for all the wisdom I pull from it's pages. A very good read. Like I said, I couldn't put it down.
I was totally engrossed in a book the other day. I had been reading it steadily all afternoon between seeing to the laundry, breaking up squabbles and general household stuff. This book is good, I mean, can't put it down but must get dinner on the stove good.
I loathed to put it down. I did so reluctantly and as I set about to peel potatoes I was trying to conjure a way to prop the book up so I could read and peel at the same time. It took a moment before I realized what a bad idea it was. I don't know about you but I would be apt to slice a digit if I were not watching my fingers. So I abandoned my book, saying a sweet, "I'll see you later" and started the very menial task of peeling potatoes.
I was making Sheppard's pie with the last of the supermarket beef, and so I had double the amount of potatoes to peel than normal. The prospect of spending so much time watching my fingers peel potatoes, a normal, everyday occurrence, was disheartening. As I peeled I thought about how peeling the lowly potato is often viewed as drudgery. A common punishment long ago was peeling potatoes. Sure the task is repetitive. It certainly isn't exciting.
I peeled and thought, and peeled and thought.
Perhaps it is being alone with ones' thoughts that has their skin crawling. As a society we spend so much time trying to save time and then what do we do with it? Fill it of course. The average person allows themselves no time to be alone with their thoughts. Minds are always racing. To do lists are etched in our brains. Standing at the counter cutting potatoes is far less productive than say... surfing the internet.
If we truly allow ourselves the freedom to think about our dreams, our reflections, our actions (past and present) we can often come to deep conclusions about what we really think and feel about things. I imagine our modern society's preoccupation with busy-ness is deeply rooted in our fear of our thoughts. If we stood there for ten minutes peeling potatoes what would we think about? Would we like it? Would our thoughts make us uncomfortable? Upset? Ashamed?
In my view living deliberately is about getting to the center of our souls. Being present in the moment, peeling potatoes is just as valid an activity as reading a book, and just as valid as any number of the busy tasks we assign ourselves. This week, slow down, enjoy your moments where you become lost in thought and see where they will take you.
---- for anyone interested, the book I am reading is Less is More, by Cecile Andrews and Wanda Urbanska. It's a collection of essays from a number of "experts" in Voluntary Simplicity (if there ever could be an expert on such a thing). I have been reading it daily, and dubbed it my daily devotional for all the wisdom I pull from it's pages. A very good read. Like I said, I couldn't put it down.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
The Genreal Store
I am constantly amazed at how far we have veered from our origins. There was a time in our history, and not so distant history, when people knew the owners of the shops and the workers behind the counter. There was a time when if you bought something and it was defective you could bring it back no questions asked because the person who you bought it from remembered you. Such service would be hard to find these days and so it is always something worth noticing.
On my way home from my spinning guild meeting, I stopped at a farm stand to buy corn and check out some of their other locally grown produce. I ended up leaving with 5lbs of potatoes, a couple green peppers and a dozen ears of corn. As I was searching, a teen-aged girl offer to keep my peppers near the register until I was ready. Then when I picked out my potatoes, both her and her younger sister where there ready with a bag to put my potatoes in. They laughed at their readiness but I thanked them warmly. It is not everyday you find such great service and I walked away knowing I would be back.
I have always wondered, when leaving a big box or smaller chain store, how difficult it would be for the person behind the counter to just smile. I don't care about having a meaningful conversation or even any kind of conversation at all but it would be nice to feel like my presence in the store is something less than a burden. I always leave those bigger stores with a 'how dare I' feeling, like I should have just stayed home so these workers would not have to serve me.
At this farm stand, I felt the complete opposite. They were happy to see me, glad for my business, why I might go so far as calling them grateful. Yes, that's it! Grateful. The young ladies working at this stand felt a greater connection to their family's livelihood. That connection, the no middleman approach, promotes true emotions and feelings where often in our day and age there is none.
These true, deliberate encounters that happen every day along road sides and at farmers markets, or even online (from small businesses) are coming back in vogue. We are craving these face to face, name to name exchanges. And who can blame us, after so many years of big business calling all the shots, we've realized that we wanted something more. Patronizing family businesses, local farmers and people we know is one simple way every one can choose the live more consciously.
On my way home from my spinning guild meeting, I stopped at a farm stand to buy corn and check out some of their other locally grown produce. I ended up leaving with 5lbs of potatoes, a couple green peppers and a dozen ears of corn. As I was searching, a teen-aged girl offer to keep my peppers near the register until I was ready. Then when I picked out my potatoes, both her and her younger sister where there ready with a bag to put my potatoes in. They laughed at their readiness but I thanked them warmly. It is not everyday you find such great service and I walked away knowing I would be back.
I have always wondered, when leaving a big box or smaller chain store, how difficult it would be for the person behind the counter to just smile. I don't care about having a meaningful conversation or even any kind of conversation at all but it would be nice to feel like my presence in the store is something less than a burden. I always leave those bigger stores with a 'how dare I' feeling, like I should have just stayed home so these workers would not have to serve me.
At this farm stand, I felt the complete opposite. They were happy to see me, glad for my business, why I might go so far as calling them grateful. Yes, that's it! Grateful. The young ladies working at this stand felt a greater connection to their family's livelihood. That connection, the no middleman approach, promotes true emotions and feelings where often in our day and age there is none.
These true, deliberate encounters that happen every day along road sides and at farmers markets, or even online (from small businesses) are coming back in vogue. We are craving these face to face, name to name exchanges. And who can blame us, after so many years of big business calling all the shots, we've realized that we wanted something more. Patronizing family businesses, local farmers and people we know is one simple way every one can choose the live more consciously.
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