~ firefly-dreaming a virtual home to learn (or teach!) alternative methods of solving problems we find facing us each day. By sharing ideas & knowledge on living with less stress, more joy & embracing tolerance & compassion we are working towards building a sustainable future for all living beings.
(welcome ALifeLessFrightening! - promoted by RiaD)
Maybe I'm unusual, but I actually find the chore of doing laundry personally satisfying. I find it oddly relaxing; perhaps it appeals to that long-lost time in my life when I used to have time for clean, neat, and orderly. But...I ran out of laundry soap the other day. I often make my own, but one bottle of store-bought detergent bought for convenience turned into another, and then another, 'till a few days ago I decided that when my current bottle ran out I would just simply not allow myself to buy another. And thus, I took my love of nice, orderly laundry hostage. "Either make that batch of laundry detergent," I bargained with myself, "or watch the clothesline site empty for the next several sunny days."
The lonely clothesline will win. I'm making the detergent today.
So why am I taking up valuable space on the internets with talk of something so mundane as laundry? Because unfortunately, laundry can be an incredibly wasteful chore in terms of energy and dollars spent. We wash load after load in warm or hot water, in petrochemical-based suds shipped from god-knows-where, then toss them into that most inefficient beast of household appliances--the dryer--to finish the deed. Fortunately, this also means there is quite a bit of room for improvement. Yes, most of the following is common sense, but if you're like me (see aforementioned discussion regarding my own laundry soap-making slacking), you need the occasional reminder and/or kick in the pants to do something about it. So follow me below the fold for tips (and recipes!) to shave kWhs off your energy usage and save big-time dollars.
Michael Bloomberg is the latest billionaire to accept the challenge posed by Bill Gates to give away half his wealth to charity. It's not a substitute for a sane tax policy in this country, but it's something.
(WarrenS has graciously allowed me to republish this brilliant essay.
Original post is HERE)
Our little household will never be able to get off the food grid entirely (can't grow rice in the Boston suburbs! No room for the spaghetti trees!) but we've been getting better at it every year.
Let me describe our layout. We live on the side of a hill. 47 steps lead from street level to our front door. When we bought the house, the front yard was a very steep slope, covered with weeds and debris. There is a garage at street level, inset into the hill. When we bought the house, the garage had a peaked roof in wretched condition.
I started a garden four years ago. It took a lot of work. The weeds and debris had to go - and individual planting beds had to be made out of rock, rubble, and concrete. I mastered the technique of building a leaky stone structure (dig shallow ditch & fill with gravel; plop rocks and rubble on top of gravel; slap concrete on top of rocks and rubble; allow to dry; add more rocks and rubble; add more concrete; repeat until you're at the height you want, then add soil) and at this point have fifteen or sixteen fully operational planting beds in my front yard.
My front yard during the off-season. Note the drip-irrigation hoses.
Alma has an eye problem just now. With her blessing (& her list!) I am taking over posting until she can pick it back up.
Feel Better!!! {{{{ Alma}}}}
Firefly Dreaming is a year old and I thought it might be fun to look back at some of our first year posts that exemplify our firefly dreaming spirit and mission.
On this, the last day of Firefly Memories, I thought we should highlight one of the first essays at firefly and the first essay by this member here. Something so simple & yet often overlooked...
Original post with comments can be found here: Smiles by Alma
There are so many ways to lighten peoples loads. Sometimes people get so bogged down that they don't see any light at the end of the tunnel. I see fireflies, Rias fireflies specifically . Ways we can help to lift people up or at least make things easier.
Some of the things I'd like to discuss here over time is ways to deal with caring for people with alzheimers disease and other dementia, all kinds of arthritis, and mental illness.
I'll also want to discuss ways you may be able to help in your communities, ie. school parent groups, scouts, beautification committee, board of canvass, etc.
But I figured I'd start off with the easiest one: smiles. That old saying that they are free and easy to give is so true. They don't cost a dime and I find that not only can it pep others up but it makes me feel better too.
Alma has an eye problem just now. With her blessing (& her list!) I am taking over posting until she can pick it back up.
Feel Better!!! {{{{ Alma}}}}
Firefly Dreaming is a year old and I thought it might be fun to look back at some of our first year posts that exemplify our firefly dreaming spirit and mission.
Original post with comments can be found here: The anti-material girl by puzzled
Tammy Strobel was living what most people would describe as the American dream. She had a husband, a condo, two cars, a good job and a fair amount of consumer debt. But the work/spend grind was getting to her, and after reading about the 100 item challenge, she and her husband began to simplify their lives.
i saw this wonderous piece at dkos & wanted y'all to see it.
tnichlsn graciously granted me permission to republish it here
(& even sent me the html!)
this piece is a bit long.... but O so inspiring!
Long tough winter got you down? Itching to get out and play in the
sunshine and the dirt? Here's a tale on how I spent my last three summer
vacations in Boston's lovely and historic South End.-
What are community gardens?
Community gardens are dedicated urban green areas set aside to provide
residents access to fresh produce, plants and flowers as well as access to
satisfying labor, neighborhood improvement, sense of community and connection to
the environment. They are publicly functioning in terms of ownership, access,
and management, as well as typically owned in trust by local governments or not
for profit associations.
A city's community gardens can be as diverse as its communities of gardeners.
Some choose to solely grow flowers, others are nurtured communally and their
bounty shared, some have individual plots for personal use, while others are
equipped with raised beds for disabled gardeners. Community gardens improve
users' health and well being through increased fresh fruit and vegetable
consumption and providing an outlet for fresh air and exercise. The gardens also
combat two forms of alienation that plague modern urban life, by bringing urban
gardeners closer in touch with the source of their food, and by breaking down
isolation by creating a social community.
No, I haven't misplaced my calendar or lost my mind, although the latter is up for debate.
When the world seems to be falling apart, we seek comfort. Whether it's a bowl of chocolate pudding made with mom's special recipe, a day spent curled up on the couch with a good book (foot-warming dog optional, but highly recommended), or some childhood ritual, we instinctively return to those things that make us feel happy and safe at times of crisis.
But even when things are going along swimmingly, it's good to take the time to appreciate the little things in our life that make us happy. I came in from running errands in a pouring rain yesterday, and looking for something dry to change into, grabbed a pair of sweat pants fresh out of the dryer. The feel of the warm, soft fabric against my wet, cold skin was absolutely heavenly, and made me realize how often we don't take the time to enjoy those random moments of happy that appear unbidden in our lives.
What are the little things in your life that bring you comfort and joy?
(a toolkit on how to begin a recycled, alternate, parallel economy.
- promoted by RiaD)
This is a crosspost from Daily Kos, an essay about how I work as an indie selling stuff on the Net.. I got a lot of helpful response there, so I'm adding some selected comments to the bottom of the essay.
Recipe for a Better World
Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 10:17:03 AM PDT
We need a new recipe for a better world. Whatever it is that we have been cookin up lately stinks to high heaven. If we want to improve our chances of surviving the near future we need to alter the ingredients that go into our stew. All this bickering and backbiting is not going to do it.
We should hold it self evident that all men and women are created equal and deserve an equal chance at life. But the way things stand today there is a blatant inequality built into our culture. Most of us stand a better chance of ending up in prison than improving our lot in life. The odds are stacked against us, why?
