Time for Tiny Houses

The Bodega from Tumbleweed Tiny Houses

My whole adventure in sustainability began with an article on tiny houses. Pictured first was one of the earliest and smallest of the tiny houses built by Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. Given that I might not have been here today writing this blog, if it had not been for that article, it seems appropriate that I should touch on the subject of tiny houses. In fact, it seems like I should have touched on it a lot sooner. 

For those of you who are curious, that article lead me to do a search on tiny houses and then I found "We the Tiny House People" a documentary about tiny homes and sustainable living. From there it just snowballed. About the same time I read "Midnights with the Mystic" by Cheryl Simone and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. Somehow the synergy of these two experiences close together launched me into my research on sustainability and permaculture.  But I digress. On to the tiny houses!

As we face a world that has less and less to offer in the way of resources to more and more people, we are all going to have to reevaluate the line between wants and needs. One of the major areas of discrepancy between want and need is in our choices of shelter. Here in the US, most of us live in homes that are far larger than what we need. And these homes contain far more stuff than can strictly (or perhaps even loosely) be described as needs. When we begin to really look at the energy that we put into purchasing and maintaining our homes we start to see that many of us have become wage slaves in order to maintain a standard of living that is far above what is necessary or sustainable. In so doing we have also shackled ourselves to a way of living that is neither ecologically friendly nor truly fulfilling for we have traded a life rich in experience for one that is full of crap (you thought I was going to say rich in stuff didn't you? Well, I'm just calling it like it is folks). 

I have personally embarked on a path toward what I call right-sizing. For many folks, particularly here in the US this will likely involve some down-sizing. While it is not just about the size of the home, (there is also: the amount and type of clothing we wear, the amount and type of food we eat, the number of hours we work and the distance we commute, just for starters) the size of the home is greatly impacted and does greatly impact many of the other aspects of our lives. With this in mind I thought it appropriate to share with you several links to resources on tiny houses and tiny living. I hope you will find them as inspirational and motivational as I have. 

Mortgage Free Tiny House
Honey I Shrunk the House
The Tiny House Blog
Review of Tiny Homes Simple Shelter by Lloyd Kahn
An article on tiny house bathrooms
Two articles from "The Tiny Life" one on tiny houses and sustainability here and another on the tiny house movement.
And finally one on "The Tiny House Film" in which you get to meet the characters that are featured in the film.

There are so many more great links that I could share with you, but I just have to leave it with these for now. 

Enjoy my friends and live small. Because living small is Living Large!

CSA #3 and the Wonders of Refrigeration and Heating

Our latest CSA arrived on Friday and wonder of wonders there were blueberries! Thanks to the wonders of modern refrigeration, I was able to make these fabulous blueberry scones with real local Maine blueberries in the dead of winter. Do I wish that these blueberries were refrigerated using renewable energy? Yes I do. Does this make me want to advocate for my utility company to divest from fossil fuels? Yes it does. It also encourages me to research and advocate for more solar and other alternative energy sources that we and other local food producers can use on our own properties to make our farms more sustainable.  

This same feeling applies to the fresh local tomatoes which I purchased today from the local market to go on my veggie burger. I know that the tomatoes are local and were grown in a greenhouse not more than 50 miles from my home, but I don't know where the energy came from that heated the greenhouse. I don't think I'm going to stop buying my fresh locally greenhouse grown tomatoes in February (unless I find that they are very far from sustainable). But I do think it makes sense for us all to keep in mind the total inputs of energy that go into producing, transporting, marketing and storing our food. Armed with this information we can begin to make informed food choices. Making those informed choices is how we are going to make the changes that we need to make in order to heal this planet and keep it going for the next generation and the next.... and the next. 

It's getting late and I want to post this so....stay tuned for the scone recipe (special bonus post tomorrow).

Man Power

There are plenty of people in the world, but only so much oil. For the past 125 years or so we have been replacing man power with oil power. Look where that has gotten us. We are currently residents of a planet whose ecosystems teeter on the brink of collapse. 

It is about time we started to realize that real wealth comes through the earth vicariously from the sun  and the way to sustainably harness that wealth is with MAN power. Man can and has sustained himself (fed, clothed, and housed himself) for thousands of years, without the benefit of fossil fuels. During that time he enjoyed much in the way of comfort, luxury, culture and joy. We are often lead to believe that life before fossil fuels was cold, dark and miserable. This is a gross exaggeration. The Romans had indoor plumbing, hot baths and mosaic tiles. And modern central heating predates the use of oil furnaces. 

I won't deny that it is nice to be able to come home and simply flip a switch and have light and heat. But there is much to be said for heating with wood, for the process of getting the wood warms you more than once and provides you with exercise unlike any that you can ever get in a gym. The fresh air and connection to nature can't be matched by half an hour on a tread mill.   

Sure if we feed ourselves and cloth our selves and warm ourselves with the labor of our backs and arms we will spend more time engaged in the process of taking care of ourselves. But we will also love ourselves more, be closer to nature, and more considerate of her needs and the needs of our own bodies and the needs of our families. And I'll bet you we'll be happier. We'll find more time for making music than for just listening to it. We'll find more time for telling stories than just being entertained by whatever crap is being broadcast over the airwaves. 

It is time to remember that we are men and women and that when we turn over the processes of making our food and clothing, shelter and warmth to machines we take something away from what it means to be human.
And when we treat other people like they are machines, and exploit them and don't give the fair exchange for their labor we take even more away from our humanity. It is time to regain our humanity by recovering our connection with the earth and with one another, by treating both mother nature and one another with respect and honor.  

It's time to remember that the power of man lies in manpower and that that power comes from the earth, therefore it is in our best interest to travel lightly.

Population Growth - Bit of a Rant

I have spent a good deal of time over the last couple of years ranting to my family, and the few friends who will listen to me rant, about the issue of population growth and the unsustainable rate at which it continues. This one may get me in trouble with a few folks, and I do beg your indulgence, if it comes off a bit harsh. It is not my intention to second guess the decisions that families have made in the past with regards to their personal choice on family size. It is my intention to suggest that folks who are currently starting families or considering starting families should do just that... consider. Take the time to really think about the impact that bringing another life into the world will have on your future, the future of the child, the future of your community and the future of the planet. And now stop and consider what impact that same decision has when multiplied by all the women of childbearing age and their partners. You can find information on world population trends and projections here: http://www.jsk.gov.in/world_population.asp 

I'm frustrated when I see our media showcasing large families with shows like Jon and Kate Plus 8 and The Duggars. We've even got reality TV about teenage moms. There is way too much attention being paid to the drama of the American family and way too little attention being paid to the impact of the resource hungry American family upon the planet. And it's not just American families either. It's the whole world. The developing world is booming when it comes to population. They are also developing a taste for all those material possessions we in the developed world have become so fond of. Who can blame them? And what can be done?

We need to get active and get involved. We need to support organizations that bring the word about the need for population control and the tools to affect it to the world. And we need to realize that we can do more in this country as well. More of us can make the decision to have small families, or not to have families.  More of us can make the decision to curtail the rampant consumption of precious resources that we have taken for granted for most of our lives, but which we are now beginning to realize simply can't continue indefinitely. And more of us can start making these decisions NOW. We can't leave it for our children or our children's children. The impact of the decisions made by today's mothers (or women who choose not to be mothers) will be felt for generations to come. 

One last little rant. We need to stop listening to slanted government studies that predict gloom and doom for our economies if growth rates drop while the percentage of the population that is deemed 'old' continues to increase. We are going to pay for the population boom one way or the other. We'll either pay it in higher costs of elder care and perhaps higher taxes to pay for that care, or we'll pay it in attempts to repair damaged ecosystems. Attempts which may or may not succeed. In the end the ultimate price may be paid in a planet which can no longer support human life as we know it. 

Please give this some thought, check out the resources and do some further research on the subject on your own. And then, please, please get involved in solving the problem in any way that you can.

Resources:
https://www.unfpa.org/worldwide/family-planning-arab-countries-2.pdf
ttp://www.jsk.gov.in/world_population.asp 
http://www.billmckibben.com/maybe-one.html 
http://www.billmckibben.com/index.html
http://www.radicalsimplicity.org/

Until next time, Live Light

New Year's Cleaning and Reflection

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you are ready for a year filled with adventure, personal growth and achievement. I know I am. 

As I look to the new year I often spend the day cleaning up the house and getting things in order for what the year will bring. Today as I tidied up my kitchen I was pondering on sustainable decorating and cleaning. While a nice tidy house always brings a sense of satisfaction, I'm sure that none of us is deeply in love with the cleaning process that it takes to get it there. A few thoughts crossed my mind, so I thought I would share them with you today. I give you fare warning that this may ramble a bit. 

Avoid dust collectors. I've decided that it is much nicer to add warmth and character to my home with things that are also useful rather than just things that collect dust. Warm colorful afghans draped over the back of the couch and chair add a little flare and they're handy one those cool Maine evenings. Teapots and vintage pitchers on the shelves are attractive and get used often enough to keep them free of dust. A basket full of knitting adds a homey touch and provides entertainment, amusement and useful items. Keeping library books in a basket is another homey touch that also keeps them organized and helps to be sure they get back to the library on time. 

Re-gift and give mathoms. You'd be surprised at how many folks would be just as happy with something of yours that they have often admired as with something you went out and bought. Anyone can spend money, but giving of your personal items takes a bit more sacrifice sometimes. Today isn't the first day that I've given thought to this. As I was getting the house ready for the holidays I noticed some decorative plates that were hanging on the wall. My mother has often admired these plates so, while they were quite attractive,  I took the plates down from the wall and gave them to my mother for Christmas. She was very happy to receive them and I was able to 'reuse' them. So it was a win for both of us and for the environment. In addition I have saved myself the chore of dusting them. Since Mom has a glass fronted hutch for her dishes she won't need to dust them either!

These musings lead me to thinking about other ways that we can make our decorating and house work more sustainable. For me this means; friendly to the environment and to the people who live in the home as well as the ones responsible for keeping the place clean. I'll  have more on this in a later post. Stay tuned and in the meantime live lightly.

Welcome to the family

Today we adopted 2 ducks, a drake and another chicken. The drake is called Jonathan. He's a beautiful bird. When we came home this afternoon we found him perched on the roof of the woodshed. He then proceeded to fly to the roof of the garage. When he finally decided to come down the edges of his wings made a beautiful angel in the soft new snow that fell yesterday. I wish I had a photo for you of the angel. Here is one of Jonathan at his former home. 

His original mom misses him already and is planning to come for a visit soon. He's such a handsome bird that I can't blame her. His two little girlfriends Tootsie and Fuji are settling in quite nicely with their new bunk mates Gladys and the Peeps, our original flock of 8 assorted hens. Pepper, the new chicken (gender yet to be determined), is working on figuring out the pecking order. We've decided that if she turns out to be a he it'll be Sgt. Pepper. 

Here is Tootsie with her sister BonBon, who was recently injured by a bird, possibly an owl. Our thoughts are with BonBon and we are hoping she is going to recover. 

We are so happy to add these four new feathered friends to our family. They will be great help in the garden come spring when it is time to root out slugs and beetle larva and the pesky shoots of new weeds. They should have the beds well turned, debugged and fertilized for us by the time we are ready to plant. And we'll have the added bonus of duck eggs and perhaps a clutch of ducklings before the summer is over. 

So welcome, welcome to Jonathan and friends. May you enjoy many happy seasons in Awen's Garden.

Happy Holidays from the Homestead

Well folks, I'm sorry I missed you on Saturday the 21st and I'm a day late with this current post. I promise you that I have been a busy little sustainability bee in the mean time. On Saturday we had 23 friends old and new at the house for a Yuletide potluck. For fun we tore strips from some old shirts that were headed for the rag bag and we wrote New Year wishes on them and tied them to this giant wishing web that we constructed in the corner of our dining room. In the spring we will hang this garland from a tree or from the garden fence. 

 

I've also been very busy making posters for the Berwick Winter Farmers' Market! We are so thrilled that Berwick is going to finally have its own market. Markets will be held on Sundays from 10am to 2pm in the Berwick Town Hall Auditorium on January 19th, February 16th and March 16th. 

I was also busy making preparations for Christmas Eve dinner with the family featuring a local duck courtesy of our friend Tinuviel, and local veggies from our second winter CSA share. To round out my holiday celebration and preparations I made stockings for my son and homemade lavender and bay cologne for my husband and son with lavender from my own garden. We have right sized our Christmas so that we do only stockings and have set a $50 limit on total expense of stocking contents.  Home-made items help to fill up the stocking with more love at less expense. 

All in all it was a busy, friend and family filled, blessed and sustainable local holiday. I hope yours was blessed as well.