Just a quickie that I thought might be useful for the veggie gardeners amongst you.
If you grow cabbages, make a cross in the stalk that’s left in the ground and new, small cabbages will spring up from it.
I don’t grow them myself but my mum said my granddad always did that when he grew his own vegetables during the war, and the little cabbages were often better than the big one.
It must be worth a try, at least.
Sharon J
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I have a problem.
Like most, I’ve long since switched to CFLs (compact flourescent lightbulbs) – the energy saving light bulbs that we’re all told we should be using these days. The trouble is, I’ve no idea how I’m supposed to dispose of the used ones.
I’ve phoned the council to ask whether they have any special recycling facilities but apparently they don’t (I say apparently because the person you speak to doesn’t always know the answer, they often just think they do) and I can’t see what other options are open.
I’d heard that US branches of IKEA take back these light bulbs for recycling so I checked with my nearest branch but no, the service isn’t available in the
So here I am with a few burned out lightbulbs and expecting the rest to start burning out any time now but without the foggiest idea as to what I should do with them. I know they mustn't go in the normal household waste because of the mercury they contain – we don’t want that leaking out and potentially causing more environmental damage than burning extra energy with conventional light bulbs would have done, do we? Mercury really isn’t something to be scoffed at.
Anybody have any ideas on this? What do you do with your old energy saving lightbulbs?
Sharon J
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I saw this beautiful cup and saucer on eBay last week and fell instantly in love with them. They’ll look just right in my kitchen when it’s finished and I can already see the cup filled with a bunch of tiny flowers from the garden or perhaps holding a little candle. If I wanted, I could even use it in my bedroom, filled with some gorgeous scented pot pourri or I might even grow a small plant in it, like a pink African Violet or a baby spider plant.
From a practical point of view, I didn’t need it; it isn’t something that will make my life easier in any way so some would say that if I’m serious about simple living, I shouldn’t have wasted my money on ‘knick knacks’. But aesthetics are important to me. If my surroundings aren’t beautiful then I soon feel depressed, so I could argue that I do indeed need things like this little china teacup.
I'm sure this need to be surrounded by beauty is part of our natural design; we were meant to live surrounded by the beauty of nature and the only way we can satisfy that is by bringing beauty – in whichever form we feel it should take – into our homes.
But having a beautiful home doesn’t have to cost the earth – either figuratively or literally. This little cup and saucer cost just over £3 on eBay, including P&P, and looking at it brings me more pleasure than a £50 designer vase or a Burberry mug ever would (yes, apparently they do mugs, too!). When I see it I think about its origins and the people who may have used and loved it before me. I look at the exquisite detail in the design and think about how beautifully nature’s represented through a simple piece of china. To me, it’s nothing short of perfect. But then I'm a sucker for pretty florals, lace and dainty little things.
This, to me, is what frugal – or simple - décor is about. It isn’t about not having nice things; it’s about finding pleasure in things that don’t have to carry a high price tag or designer label to be of any value and aren’t necessarily the latest ‘in’ thing to have. Whether you're into retro, minimalist, vintage, urban chic or whatever, there are things out there that won't break your budget, aren't being mass produced in third world sweatshops and aren't the same as every other Tom, Dick and Harry have. You just have to look for them.
Sharon J
Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or
believe to be beautiful. - William Morris
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I was talking to my mum last night. She wanted to discuss what would happen should she “pop her clogs” as she put it. She only 71 but as she said, nobody knows when it’s going to happen and these things need to be discussed. She also asked what I wanted to happen should I be the one to go first.
Not a nice subject by any means but it’s better everybody knows what each of us wants so there’s no disputing it when we’re no longer here to have our say.
Personally I want to be buried in a wood, in a cardboard coffin, preferably with a tree planted on top of me, although that isn't always possible. Mum said she’d honour my wishes although she felt the cardboard box bit seemed a bit mean and would have liked a proper gravestone but understood that I don’t have the same views as her. As far as I’m concerned, lavish coffins are a waste of resources and cemeteries are a waste of ground. Cremations may seem like the more environmentally friendly solution in that there’s no wasted space but they cause a lot of air pollution.
When a person is cremated they literally “go up in smoke”, spewing heavy metals, hydrogen chloride, carbon dioxide, furans and dioxins into the air.
Mum wants to be cremated. I explained the eco consequences to her and that there are alternatives to a conventional coffin, which is responsible for the majority of the pollutants, mostly because the linings, handles and nameplate are made of synthetic materials, many of which are plastics. Bamboo and wicker caskets are a good alternative, preferably lined with natural fabric and no foam (do you really need to be comfy when you’re dead?). They should also have removable handles. Mum was happy to go along with that, as long as she wasn’t put in a cardboard box!
Conventional burials also pollute. Regular embalming fluid of the type used by the majority of
As well as the pollution issue, there’s the space they take up. An increasing amount of our precious woodlands are being torn down in order to make space for dead bodies and lumps of carved stone. While it’s true that some cemeteries are home to several species of wild animal, many are just bare lawns with row upon row of jagged, marble monuments staring bleakly at a vast nothingness.
When it comes to woodland burials, there are now around 200 hundred sites in the
No embalming fluid is used for woodland funerals and coffins must be biodegradable. To make the whole funeral event even more eco friendly, using a horse and cart to transport the coffin can generally be arranged, as can motorbike drawn hearses. I quite like the idea of a horse and cart myself, preferably decorated with wild flowers.
A list of natural burial sites can be found here: The Association of Natural Burial Grounds.
Once I can afford it, I’m buying my plot ready for the off! I'd like a nice one, close to where bluebells grow :-)
Sharon J xx
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[UPDATE: Mum called this evening to say she'd changed her mind - she wants to go in the woods, too. In fact, she even wants us to share a grave if that's possible, or at least be buried close together. That's one more convert :) ]
Fed up with plastic carrier bags?
Why not get together with some friends and make some 'morsbags'?
The idea is to create a 'pod' of people, or join an existing one, who all sew these simple shopping bags and, when they have enough, distribute them free to shoppers in the hope that fewer will use plastic.
Ideally they should be made from recycled fabric - old duvet covers, sheets, curtains, fabric from charity shops, etc.
I won't be organising a pod because I can never really make arrangements in advance for things. I just never know what my energy will be like on any given day. I would like to make a few myself to give to friends and family though, so I shall be saving any suitable fabric I find. Apparently they only take about half an hour to make.
Now, if only I could figure out how to use the darned sewing machine...
Sharon J
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Today is Mothering Sunday, or Mother’s Day as it’s more commonly known these days, and the sun is shining from a clear blue sky.
Always celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent since the 16th century, Mothering Sunday has long been the day where we give thanks to our mothers for everything they’ve done for us during the year.
Back in the days of big houses with servants, the lady of the house would often allow the maids to take a cake, a basket of eggs or a bunch of flowers from the garden home to their mothers. Eventually, flowers became the traditional gift to give on Mother’s Day. Daffodils were the favourites because even when Mother’s Day came earlier, as it has this year, there was still a good chance they’d be in bloom. It was also customary to bake a Simnel Cake although these have become more associated with Easter nowadays.
My mum was sent her annual bunch of Daffs for delivery this morning – a big bunch of 50 golden blooms that I know will have brought a huge smile to her face. No doubt they'll be in vases all around the living room. Daffs and Gladioli are her favourites. She's a wonderful woman who taught me lots about values, budgeting, and how important it is to be true to yourself. Even today she's the first person I turn to for advice.
I remember when I was little, our local church used to give the children a little bunch of flowers to take home to their mothers. Whether or not they still do that I don’t know. It was a lovely tradition though.
But, like everything else, consumerism eventually took over and now the shops are bursting with cards that sing, are two foot tall, and that pop up and jump out at you. We’re expected to buy boxes of chocolates, expensive bouquets, teddy bears, jewellery, perfume and anything else that could possibly be marketed as being something mum would love. Then once we’ve bought the card and present we’re told that we should take her out to dinner or at least buy her a bottle of wine and make a nice dinner at home. Phew! Whatever happened to that simple bunch of Daffodils?
I haven't been downstairs yet so I've no idea whether DD2 has done anything to mark mother's day. It would be nice if she'd cleaned downstairs but I shan't hold my breath. DD1 won't have remembered; Mother's Day falls later in the year in Norway. DS will be phoning later. He can't actually talk but as I know his 'sound expressions' well, we're able to have a short conversation of sorts. Mum will help 'translate'. DD3 (my surrogate daughter) was going to bring a card round but I'm too weak to an 18 month old baby here at the moment. It's a shame because I'd love to see him, but I have to think of my health. Breakfast in bed would be nice but I think DD2 has gone to work.
I neither need nor want fancy presents and expensive cards; I just want to know that I’ve been thought of. And should any of them forget, well that’s no big deal either. It’s the little things they do throughout the year that really tell me I’m loved and appreciated, not a card or present that they feel obliged to buy.
Sharon J xx
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I can’t believe it’s 1st of March already! Doesn’t time fly by? It seems only yesterday that it was Christmas! Yes, I know I’m starting to sound like my grandmother but time does appear to pass more quickly as you get older, there’s no doubt about that. Even DD2, who’s just 19, mentioned that fact a few days ago. She told me that a week’s holiday in our tent used to feel like forever when she was little whereas now a week away is gone before you’ve got there almost.
I always think March is a good month. Spring starts to show her face around this time of the year and although the daffodils, periwinkles and primulas have been blooming in my garden for a couple of weeks already, other plants will start springing into life throughout the month. Birds will start looking for nesting places and squabbling over the best ones, and hibernating creatures will start emerging after their long sleep. In the countryside the first lambs will be in the fields, kicking up their heels and bringing a smile to people's faces.
North Wales, on a misty March morning.
March 23rd will be Easter Sunday so a few days beforehand I’ll try to find some young birch twigs that I can take in and put in water. It’s a Norwegian Easter tradition to bring spring into the house this way, usually with colourful feathers attached to the twigs. It's a tradition I love. The bright green of the new leaves as they emerge always cheers me up and remind me that another winter is finally going to have to give way to bright early mornings and long, light evenings.
The first official day of spring is on March 21st which follows the Spring Equinox on the previous day. Traditionally we should plant seeds on that day so I’ll have to try to get hold of some wild flower seeds to throw around the garden. I know that’s not proper sowing but it’ll have to do.
Oh, I love this time of year. It’s so full of hope and anticipation.
Sharon J xx
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Apparently, if you put a frog in boiling water it’ll frantically try to escape, but if you put it into a pan of tepid water it’ll feel comfortable and as the water heats up, will fall into a tranquil state, gradually allowing itself to be boiled to death without even noticing.
We humans, as intelligent as we may be, are acting like frogs!
When we first arrived (evolved) on this planet it was nice and lukewarm; a good, comfortable place to be. Everything we needed was provided for us. It seems to me that as we developed our intelligence so our ‘wants’ developed too; we were no longer satisfied to just cover our ‘needs’. We chopped down forests and woodland and killed more animals than we actually needed for food in order to satisfy our gluttonous demands and, perhaps worse, as entertainment, making many extinct along the way.
Eventually the alpha humans' greed and laziness led them to oppressing those who were easily manipulated. Instead of leading the pack, they tyrannised them. A few lived well at the expense of many. Eventually those alpha humans became dissatisfied with their lot, wanting even more and looked abroad, to far off lands, for more slaves to do their bidding.
But never happy with their lot, always seeking more, they then wanted machines to do the work. That way they could produce more and use their persuasive power to have the rest of the people want more, too. Soon factories were built, spewing out toxic waste both into the air and waterways, but still the majority had to work long hours, either in hazardous factory conditions or as servants in the homes of the rich.
The situation hasn’t really changed much.
We still have a few living in luxury while the rest of us sell our services in order to afford the products that the few would have us believe will make our lives as rich and meaningful as theirs. Buy this, buy that, buy, buy, buy – it’s the only way to be happy. The wealthy still have servants: nannies, au pairs, gardeners, body guards, personal shoppers, cleaners, dog walkers, etc. Just yesterday DD2 saw a celebrity in Selfridges with her bag carrier! These people are often paid nothing more than the minimum wage.
The water’s becoming dangerously hot now. How long is it before the pan boils?
While recycling is a good thing, avoiding products that need to be recycled is even better, as is buying items made under fair and safe conditions. Unfortunately it’s often small manufacturers that produce ethical goods and, price wise, they can’t compete with the ‘big fish’ and even if they can, producing products in an environmentally friendly manner often costs more.
But even most of us who are on a low income can afford to be ethical when we open our purses as long as we’re willing to give up the unnecessary luxuries that we’re told we need in order to be happy. Would I rather pay £5 a litre more for eco-friendly paint or buy a couple of CDs? As much as I enjoy music, the survival of the planet means more to me. Don't get me wrong, I do buy the occasional CD but if I can only choose one...
Only we, the ‘little people’ - the majority - can stop the pan from boiling. We can vote with our actions rather than at the polling booth. By ceasing to buy goods and services that aren’t both ecologically and humanely ethical, eventually they’ll disappear and be replaced with what the market’s calling for. It won’t happen over night, and shouldn’t, either. We can’t just switch from an economy based on growth to one based on sustainability without adjustments needing to be made and adjustment takes time. But we must start.
Nobody’s saying we should go back to living in mud huts and cooking self hunted meat over open fires, but we can develop a new way of living; one that’s both comfortable, healthy and ecologically sound.
Sharon J
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Because we’ve moved around a lot – by choice I may add, not by necessity – my daughters have been to a number of schools. Some people have inferred that I’m a bad mother for dragging my kids “from pillar to post” but when asked, they’ll tell you that they’ve lived an adventurous life with lots of experiences they otherwise wouldn’t have had, met lots of people and had a whole lot of fun. Sometimes, preconceptions of how things ought to be aren’t always right. People – families – we’re all different.
Sadly, after moving back to
DD1 eventually moved back to
Plenty of people were against it; the people from the local education authority certainly were and although most friends understood and supported my decision, a few were clearly perplexed. “Drag her to school kicking and screaming – don’t let her have her own way” I was told. Well I’m sorry but I don’t treat my children that way; there’s no respect in that.
The LEA threatened me with court action for keeping her away from school but I knew my rights. The law of
Contrary to what some people believed, she wasn’t being lazy or just ‘trying to get her own way’. She knuckled down and got on with her work. We bought curriculum books to follow so that she’d have a chance of passing her GSCEs and eventually gain entrance to higher education, and we made up projects of our own. Our own local surroundings gave us lots of opportunities for geography and history projects; we have canals that date back to 1791; we live in a historic railway town; we have a park just a few minutes walk away with a well stocked lake (both fish and birds), a woodland walk, formal gardens and more. Lots could be learned about the environment just by walking around the town and I’m sure she learned a whole bunch of stuff that she would never have learned at school.
To our frustration, when the time came for her to sit her GCSEs, we were told that because she was home educated, she wouldn’t be allowed a mark higher than a ‘C’ as she could only sit what’s called the foundation tier rather than the higher tier. She was devastated. She’d worked hard and knew she could manage ‘A’ passes. I tried discussing it with them, practically begged them; her tutor tried talking to them (she also believed DD2 could achieve grade ‘A’) but they were adamant; that was the way things were.
She did get her ‘C’ passes in Math, English Language, and English Lit, the three exams she sat, but she wasn’t sure whether that would be good enough to get her onto the college course she wanted. Her dream was to be a photographer but for that she’d need at least two ‘B’ grade passes. We went along to the college, spoke to the head of the department and luckily, after a long chat with DD2, he said that he believed she had potential and didn’t want to see it wasted so would accept her on the course. I could have kissed him.
She’s now in her final college year and is planning to go to Uni although she is considering taking a gap year. She's very stressed at the moment, what with college, holding down a part-time job and helping me so I do understand her reasons. People also grow tired of ‘school’ and sometimes need a break. But whatever she chooses, those who insisted she’d never make anything of herself, that she was just being lazy, and so forth were definitely wrong!
Sharon J xx
I’ve never let my schooling interfere with my education ~ Mark Twain
More information on home schooling can be found on the DirectGov website
[Photo credit: banafsh3 at Flickr.com]
The worms live in the tray that you’re ‘feeding’ at the time and as they munch their way through it, it comes out of the other end as worm casts which is a nutrient rich compost. What’s more, because you need to keep everything moist (not soaking wet – you don’t want to drown the worms), the moisture seeps through and gathers in the bottom compartment as fertiliser. There’s a tap on the front so getting it out isn’t a problem and apparently it’s excellent for both indoor and outdoor plants.
I bought mine from this eBay seller at the bargain price of £30 including P&P. He also has a website here. They come in different sizes and styles from the smallest that are suitable for one person to huge ones for big families. I have a 60 litre version which, I’m told, is appropriate for my needs.
I have a composter but I never use it because it’s at the end of the garden and I really don’t like having to walk through mud to get to it. It also breaks down veeeeery slowly so is mostly full up. The wormery, however, is now sited on a round table that was otherwise doing nothing, right beside my back door. I have an empty ice-cream pot (big 3 litre one) standing on the worktop that I shall put peelings etc in during the day and then every evening I’ll empty it into the wormery. Easy peasy!
Because they’re odour free (so I’m told – I’ll come back to this subject once mine’s been running a while), even those living in flats could have one as long as they have a balcony. And I believe there are even indoor types available, although I haven’t looked for them.
Hopefully I’ll see a decrease in the amount of rubbish that goes into the bin now and I should soon have some lovely compost to use in my pots and fertiliser to feed the plants with. Can’t go wrong really, can I? Or can I? I’ll let you know how it goes.
Sharon J xx
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During the early hours of this morning, at about 1am, we had an earthquake. Apparently the epicentre was in Market Rasen in
I was upstairs at the time and at first I thought something had exploded downstairs. The boiler perhaps. I rushed down only to find everything was as it should be and realised that it must have been an earthquake. I’ve felt a few before but never one of that magnitude. According to the BBC, it was on a scale of 5.3 making it the biggest earthquake in the
Does it have something to do with global warming? People on forums and stuff are saying it does but I’m not so sure. Earthquakes have been happening all over the
There’s no doubt in my mind that the planet IS suffering due to our human selfishness but I don’t think this earthquake is proof of that; it’s just that some people like to attribute everything to climate change. I guess it gives them something to tut-tut about.
Sharon J
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Did you know that I once lived up a mountain? I don’t know how high up the house was but the road certainly didn’t go any further and it was possible to walk from our place to the top without too much trouble.
We weren’t there long, but it was an experience I wouldn’t be without. The house itself was a bit of a shack – you could look between the floorboards from the second floor and watch what was going on downstairs, the only heating was a wood burner in the living room, and when the wind blew it felt as if it would fall down. No wonder we found the midnight thunder storm exciting! It did have hot water and a shower though which helped a lot.
The house we lived in
It’s more redeeming feature was, without a shadow of doubt, the view. From the living room and patio it looked out through a valley between two other mountains, out towards the sea (you had to climb a bit further up the mountain to actually see as far as the sea) and it was spectacular. Like something I’d never imagined! Living in
There was one bus a day from our mountain and into the nearest village. It was the school bus really but anybody could catch a ride. Being as I didn’t have a car at the time, you'll understand that organisation was essential if I wasn’t going to run out of essential supplies. Luckily, a lady I’d befriended – and who I’m still friends with today – used to offer to drive me down with her but that wasn’t too often. We used to enjoy a lot of time together though. Her house was about a 20 minute walk from mine (houses were few and far between up there) but that didn’t matter – the walk was always enjoyable whether at 2 in the afternoon or 2 at night.
A local farmer used to come up with his horse and cart a couple of times a week and took the kids out for a ride. They were always welcome at the farm, too. DD2 learned to ride there.
Strangely enough, during my short spell on that mountain I made more friends than I have in six years in the street I live in now. I wonder why that is? Any suggestions? The people of Bontveit were open, honest and hard-working; they had a real respect and understand of nature and the part they played in it. There was no place for misplaced sympathy – sheep had to be slaughtered and if the dog was too ill to live, the shot gun came out. But the sheep roamed freely on the mountainside while they lived and the dog was treated with the greatest respect.
Living there was, my friends, truly living the simple life. It was a very happy time for all of us.
Sharon J xx
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