a simple reduction

Your Money or Your Life: Week One

2011-07-20T17:23:00.000-07:00

About a week ago I felt the need to turn to outside help for how to view money. More specifically, I need to figure out why I can't seem to find a way to maintain a stream of income steady enough to pay my debts and my living expenses.

Cue introduction of the book Your Money Or Your Life by Vickie Robin: It's a self-help money book originally published decades ago. I picked up a revised edition (published in the early '90's...there are even more recent ones) at a Half Priced Books and am working my way through it. Here's the recap for week one.

I did a fair amount of looking at how I viewed the relationship between my financial status and my self confidence. I've had a rough year and made a lot of mistakes. Sometimes the confidence I used to have just evaporates away. Basically, I've been judging my choices as poor ones, using both my relationship and financial statuses as the measuring stick for those judgements. The judgements go a little something like this: Can't seem to keep a relationship alive? There must be something wrong with me. Scraping the bottom of the money barrel? I must be either too lazy or unhirable to get a decent job.

Those measuring sticks hurt when I beat myself up with them, which may be the reason I'm resisting looking at them. I've identified several issues to journal about, but have I? Nope. It seems to be easier to take the ever-increasing sting of self judgement, instead of making the effort to wrestle the offending sticks out of my own hands. Why is that, I wonder?

As I keep track of my income and expenses over the next month, my hope is that I will become less afraid to look at my beliefs and behaviors without judgement. Do I equate a steady income with restriction and soul-killing repetition? Kind of. But that's ok, I just need to figure out why. Do I feel like the only time I can show vulnerability or ask for help is when I'm in a nasty financial crisis? Pretty much. Alright, where did I learn that and why do I act as if it's true?

So, to sum up, the word for week one is: Why?

Dallas Markets

2011-07-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

As I settle back into Dallas, I'm turning my attention to what I can do to reduce my carbon footprint. One of the more fun efforts is to explore the local markets. So far I've visited four: the Dallas Farmers Market, the White Rock Local Market, the Deep Ellum Outdoor Market, and the McKinney Farmers Market. Each has its own particular flavor, but each offer products either grown or produced in the Dallas area.

The Dallas Farmers Market is the most well known market in the area. Open seven days a week, permanent pavilions shelter fruit & veg stands while enclosed buildings house locally prepared foods such as wine, baked goods, and pasta. The website advertises live music and classes, but I've never been there on one of those days. During my one visit there, I really enjoyed meeting some of the people creating local foods. I didn't get as friendly with the produce sellers, so I'd like to go back another time and do a bit more chatting with them. Hopefully, I'll find out which ones are from Texas. Because buying locally grown produce makes me feel, you know, happy.

The White Rock Local Market is the only farmer's market I've ever been to located at a gas station. I never made it inside The Green Spot, but according to their website, they offer traditional fuel, biodeisel, organic frozen yogurt, fair trade coffee, and other eco-friendly-for-a-gas-station stuff. From March through December, the market pops up on the second and fourth Saturday of the month, filling the front lot with tents. Not only do food vendors appear, but local crafters also get in on the action. It was here that I first discovered Red Ranger Ray Guns. Normally, I'm too much of a passivist to get all excited about toy guns. But, these are so fun and so beautifully crafted, that I was just charmed. I mean, the grass fed beef sausage and almond croissant I bought at the market were great, but the hand crafted steampunk-ish water guns stuff made me laugh. Like a robot. (Ok, not really like a robot.)

The Deep Ellum Outdoor Market is part of the revitalization of this Dallas neighborhood. Like the rest of the area, the market is full of artists and creative people doing their thing. Once a month, they get together to display their wares, everything from hand crafted jewelry to vintage dresses. Across the street from the covered pavilion that houses them are food vendors and more crafty folks. One of my faves is the Texas Honeybee Guild's Bees on Earth booth. Not only do they have a guy dresses as a bee (which alone is enough to make is awesome), they have a line of honey jars labelled with zip codes. That way you can eat honey harvested super close to your house. Now, I'd call that buzz worthy. (Take that, TRL!)

The McKinney Farmers Market is picturesquely located on the grounds of historic Chestnut Square. (Well, on Sauturday mornings from 8-12 it is. On Thursdays from 2-6pm it's at Adriatica. But, I've only ever been to the one at Chestnut Square, so that's the one I'm going to talk about.) Booths selling local produce, jewelry, flowers, organic dog treats, and home made candy are nestled amongst charming historic cabins. The brick pathway even winds itself all the way to the Chestnut Square giftshop, where you can find all sorts of fun little historically-influenced books and nick-nacks. I succumbed to the urge to buy one of those wooden hand fans, and now bust it out whenever I fear that I may start to "glisten." (That's Southern for "sweat like a big, hairy man because it's freakin' 107 degrees out here.")

Which ever market you decide to visit, be sure to bring along a tote bag. Most vendors offer little plastic bags. But, gosh, how gauche to carry around plastic at a farmer's market! Or, if you forget your tote bag, just do like me and dump your potatoes in your purse. Whatever gets the spuds home sans petroleum product works...right?

BONUS: Want a chance to vote for your favorite Dallas market? Head on over to my Squidoo lens, Dallas Farmers Markets, and show some local love!

Redefining Economic Measures

2011-01-18T11:53:00.000-08:00

I've been following the production of an upcoming movie: Growthbusters: Hooked on Growth. It proposes the idea that the traditional way governments and economists traditionally gauge the health of our nation, the GDP (gross domestic product), is flawed. I've done a bit of volunteer transcribing for the script, and am following them on facebook. This morning they posted a link to a blog that argues the case for considering not only the dollar value of our transactions, but that both the resources freely produced by the environment and the unpaid work done people be considered when determining the health of an economic system.

I took a look at the blog and watched the video there, a Ted Talk by Chuck Berger. Chuck has been involved in collecting this very data in Australia. He makes a good point about expanding our way of measuring economic success to include these as well.

Now, I'm no economic expert. But, being someone who earns and spends money, I'm an economic participant. For my value within the system in which I participate to be counted only by how much money flows through my hands is a limited view of my contribution to the system as a whole. What about my morning ritual of preparing breakfast for my mother, who then has the energy to work? Or, what about the volunteer transcribing I did for Growthbusters, contributing to the production of a project that certainly causes money to move through the system?

As for the contribution of a healthy environment, there's no denying that our very lives hinge on our interdependence with the natural world. It's simple: we eat food provided to us by the ground or we die. Aside from that basic interaction, there's the obvious ways nature drives our economic systems. Petroleum has fueled our recent production explosion, and we are now turning to harnessing the energy in other natural resources to maintain our current way of life. But, what about the more subtle ways we depend on the natural environment? Unless you've been under a rock for the past few years, you've probably heard about colony collapse disorder, the not totally understood death of honey bees on a large scale. Not only do wild environments depend on these small insects, but even large scale industrial farms require help from these guys to pollinate the food crops that end up on your plate on a daily basis.

From what I understand, many main stream economists even admit that the GDP isn't a perfect system. So, why is it still the main marker for measuring the health of an economic system? And what does the health of our economic system really say about the overall health of the individuals within in? Hopefully, as more economic participants like you and me consider these questions, so will the people we've allowed to govern us.

Holistic Goal Setting

2011-01-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

My amazing friend Patrick recently sent me a link to a guide designed to help you create an overarching goal for your life. New Year's resolutions are great, and can help us identify specific goals we want to work on. But, when trying to figure out what you want the long term effect of those smaller goals to be, you need something a little more broad.

Enter the Holistic Goal, created by Allan Savory of the Holistic Management series. A Holistic Goal is a statement of how you want to be, and what your environment should be to support that goal. In Allan's books, everything from land management to business management is covered. But, the guide Patrick sent me was created by a college professor in an attempt to help his students write goals relevant to their life situations.

Some of the tools used in the guide were mind mapping to determine your current support system, a wheel of life to help you determine what areas of your life could use some work, and a chart to help you dive deep into what you really want from your life goals.

The final goal is broken into two parts: a Quality of Life Statement and a Future Vision Statement. Here's what I came up with for mine.

Quality of Life Statement

I enjoy how I live my life and am excited about my daily activities. I feel relaxed and safe, making decisions based on what will enrich my life. I am open with others and develop beautiful friendships. I am an active member of my community, feeling a part of something greater that grows more beautiful with time.

Future Vision Statement

Myself: I am regarded as a competent, steady person. I'm respected for my knowledge and actions in the professional sphere. I'm seen as a delightful and open person who loves to laugh and be around friends. I am an honest, but kind person, who speaks the truth without judgment.

The Landscape: Clean air, clean water, blue sky, growing things around me, able to support a sustainable community, sunshine

My Community: At the core is a group of committed, supportive friends sharing the values of right livelihood and sustainability. The greater community supports a change towards local living. We experiment with local currency, have community celebrations, and encourage local resiliency. Self-supporting habits such as vegetable gardening, bee keeping, and backyard chickens are welcomed. We have easy access to competent health care, both alopathic and complementary. Affordable, high quality educational opportunities are available to all ages. We enjoy recreational activities that encourage the creation and maintenance of healthy community ties.

Whew! Looking back on that, it seems like I have a good grasp of what kind of person I want to be and what kind of community I want to be a part of. Now, I just got to figure out how to get from here to there. next step: start incorporating the Holistic Clarifying Questions to my decision making process. Wish me luck!

Interested in writing your own holistic goal? Click here for the pdf of the guide I used, then visit my squidoo lens Tips for Goal Writing for a helping hand getting started.

Sugar, Get Thee Behind Me! (The end of the kitcheri fast and the beginning of a whole new relationship to refined sugar.)

2010-10-07T06:47:00.000-07:00

Five days before my scheduled end of the kitcheri fast, I've ended it. I feel good about it, and about the decision I've made about my future realtionship with sugar. It's a little scary, stepping out of the comfort zone of not having to make decisions about food, but I think I'm prepared to stick to my baby step change. I summed up my adventure on the Day Sixteen entry on the Kitcheri Fast Page. I've pasted it below as my conclusion to what I did, why I did it, and how I feel at the end of it.

Day Sixteen: Goodbye Monodiet, Hello Baked Potato!

Well, it looks like my kitcheri fast is over. In response to my body's refusal to digest any more plain rice and mung beans, I added an egg to my morning bowl. It tasted amazing, and I felt great after eating it. For lunch, I threw some chili on top of the kitcheri. Yum. And for dinner? Well, I had to go into town for abundant internet, and ended up at Rick's Barbecue where they have free wi-fi. They also, I just learned, have an amazing loaded baked potato with pork.

Why have I given up on the fast five days before the finish line? Partly it was because of my body's rejection of the kitcheri, and partly because I have come to a decision about my future relationship with sugar, which was the whole point of the exercise. In the past, sweet foods were either an anti-depressant or my reward for being a "good girl." Got through a stressful day without killing anyone? I deserve ice cream. Just trying to make it through another hormonal swing without bursting into tears over random crap? Chocolate, please. Feeling sad for no particular reason? I'll have that jumbo Almond Joy, thank you.

By the time I got to day fourteen or so, I had stopped craving sugar all together. I had made it through two whole weeks without any candy, ice cream, dried fruit, or a sweet treat of any kind. Even when my moontime came on, I resisted. So, I figure I don't need it. And if I don't need it, and it's bad for me, then I should just cut it out of my diet. My daily diet, anyway. The realization I had on day seven about sweet foods being a traditional celebratory tool opened up a whole new world for me. Sugar is not the enemy. Sweet things aren't the devil incarnate trying to lure me into syrupy sin. Until recently they were enjoyable, but expensive, food items to be share with friends and loved ones on special occasions. And that's what they are to me now. Maybe not expensive in dollars, but expensive in self respect and emotional/body health.

So, this Friday is a friend's birthday. She's having people over for dessert and drinks. Am I going? Yep. Will I eat sweet foods? You bet your tushie.Will I enjoy every bite? I hope. Will I feel guilty the next day and pig out on cheap Rocky Road ice cream? Hell no, and hopefully not ever again.

Kitcheri Fast Week Two

2010-10-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been another seven days on the kitcheri monodiet. I haven't eaten anything else as a meal, and I only had tiny, little, bitty bites of the non-kitcheri food I made with the apprentices. Like the size of a dime tiny.

I've been craving white flour based things this week: biscuits, pizza, burritos with flour tortillas. Not sure what that means, but it's encouraging that I'm not jonesing for chocolate. In fact, candy sounds too icky sweet at this point. So, as the second week winds to an end, my thoughts turn to how I'm going to integrate different foods back into my diet at the end of the next seven days. my conclusions so far are contained in this week's highlights.

Day Eight: Makin' Bagels
I was serving breakfast an hour later than I had been for the last few weeks, and my body reeealy wanted to eat at 7am. Had some fuzzy headedness and mild dizziness, and wondered if it was from eating the shrimp cocktail last night...Was really hungry about 3:30, and feeling a little discombobulated, so I ate an early dinner.

Day Nine: Tired of it!
Breakfast: I. Want. Biscuits. Now. But, I'm sticking with it. Somewhere along the way, I learned that a person doesn't truly learn something until they repeat it seven times. So, when I used to study I would write out the important points in my notes seven times. By about the third time, I had the fact memorized and felt resistant to continuing, as if it was a waste of time. But I found that the points with which I finished out the seven repetitions were the ones I had an easier time remembering when it came to the test. So, here I am resisting the kitcheri by petulantly craving biscuits. To me, that just means that I need to keep going until the craving changes to peaceful acceptance.

Day Ten: Half way through, New response to hunger.
I'm about half way through the 21 days, and have been noticing a new reaction to hunger lately. Even though I'm physically hungry, and my stomach is growling, the kitcheri doesn't sound appealing about half the time. I've got a few theories:

1. Old food: I've been eating off of the same large batch for a while now, and I wonder if my body just wants fresh food. I'm making a fresh batch today just in case this is the reason.
2. Enjoying hunger: This is the first time I can ever remember not feeling like I'm going to keel over when I get hungry. Apparently, this monodiet
3. Craving a variety of tastes: Maybe my body just wants some other food. My cravings are getting more frequent, and for a wider variety of food. Today my stomach was growling, the kitcheri didn't seem appealing, and I wanted a fish sandwich. I was all prepared to go ahead and have one. But, I had something else to do first, so I made myself a cup of apple cinnamon tea. After I drank the tea, my craving for the fish went away and I ate the kitcheri. So, was my body just wanting taste variety and the tea satisfied that?

Day Eleven: Rumblings Down Below, Dairy Snot, Sauna
I'm also noticing that I'm having my normal dairy sensitivity when I eat (mucous.) I didn't make ghee out of my butter, as it is salted. I may try making it for the next batch, though, and see if removing the milk solids will clear up the problem...I attended a sauna after dinner this evening. When I went to some in the spring, I found that I got dizzy after a couple of rounds...This time...when I started "sauna-ing" I didn't get dizzy!

Day Thirteen: What's Next?
I'm beginning to think about how I'm going to integrate variety back into my diet after this is over. I don't want to just go back to allowing my cravings to dictate what I eat. I definitely don't my first meal to be the "reward meal," something I've been craving for a week, and can now allow myself to eat. That's exactly the attitude I am trying to change while on this monodiet.

Day Fourteen: Quiero un burrito! Ahora!
I'm not craving chocolate or sugar. So, I think I'm just going to kick that monkey off my back. No refined sugar for me when I'm done, and only indulging in sweet things during group celebrations. This may seem harsh, but I think it's a good goal for me. This will stop me from rewarding myself with a chocolate bar or ice cream on a regular basis. I'm also really enjoying the way my body is, or rather isn't, reacting to being hungry. If I go back to eating sweet things, even things sweetened with honey or molasses, my body might pick back up with the sugar high and low swings.

Kitcheri Fast Week One

2010-09-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Week one of the three week kitcheri fast is done! It's been an amazing week, and I have discovered so much about my relationship with food. Here are some highlights from the first week. For a more detailed journal, check out my Kitcheri Fast page.

Day Two: Trying smaller portions today.
I found eating in small doses set well on my stomach, so I just ate little bits of it in between errands. Had the realization that when my body was actually hungry the kitcheri was appealing and I could eat it, but there were times when I was just thinking about eating as a knee-jerk or emotional response. Those times, I didn't really want to eat the kitcheri. It reminded me of when I used to complain to my mom that I was hungry, and she would offer me a healthy snack that I would refuse. Her response was always, "Well, you must not be hungry, then." Thanks, Mom. You were right.

Day Three: Balancing blood sugar(?) and remembering to be grateful.
Found that I didn't have as much "low blood sugar" reaction, such as dizziness and feeling weak, to late lunch.

Day Six: CRAVE!
Had a chocolate craving for a few minutes, too. But, to counteract it, I thought of eating the kitheri to test to see if I was actually hungry. The kitcheri didn't seem so appealing, so I drank some water instead.

Day Seven: Painters and Decoraters In, and Group Celebrations
Started with a bowl of kitcheri, ended with a shrimp cocktail. Joined the Gaia U group on their last night out before the end of the session...I have been thinking a lot lately about the connection of food and celebration. In the past, I used food as a reward for getting through a stressful situation, or achieving a goal. But, last night was different. It was more like the way that many cultures used food as a form of group celebration...So, now I can give myself permission to enjoy sweet or unusual foods during a holiday or group celebration, and find some other form of reward for smaller goals and personal celebrations.

Food Relationship and Another Awesome Coworker

2010-09-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

I love food. I love and am grateful for my body. So, can any one tell be why I had a box of Little Debbie oatmeal cookies tonight for dinner? All while watching No Impact Man, a documentary about a family that attempts to live with no environmental impact in New York City?

Part of my intention for being here at the ETC is to help change my daily interaction with food. I wanted bulk, organic, and local foods to make up a large part of my diet. And for the most part, they have. My staples (grains and beans) are bulk, I buy organic about half of the time for incidentals, and a good bit of my produce comes from a local CSA. At least, that's the story when I'm cooking for others as well as myself. When left to my own devices, I loose all motivation to prepare my meals from scratch. It seems like such an inconvenience to cook and clean up when I could just buy something ready made. I buy expensive microwave dinners, consume mass quantities of pasta, and like tonight, fill my belly with unhealthy sugar-filled foods.

Tonight, I think I fit another piece into the puzzle that has been my relationship to food as long as I can remember. Right now, it's as if my emotional self hasn't got the memo that food's first function is to keep me healthy. To my emotions, health takes a back seat to pleasure. And, I don't mean just about the taste. Because, if I was wanting to experience only good tasting food I would still be cooking all my meals with the amazingly beautiful food I have access to here. Instead, I seem to connect food, especially convenient sugar filled food, with an instant gratification reward for a job well done.

So, now it's up to me to retrain myself so that my motivation around food is all about how I feel after I eat, instead of while I eat. One of my coworkers is currently in the middle of a kitchari fast. She is eating the rice and mung bean based dish for twenty one days to help balance her body. She mixes it up a bit with small amounts of fresh fruit and other whole grains, but for the majority of her meals it's the traditional recipe. I thought for sure she would get sick of it soon, or be racked with cravings for other foods. But, she has reported that after two weeks, she still likes the taste of it, and her only major cravings have been for an occasional beer. So, I thought I might give it a go.

Years ago, I related to caffeine in a very similar, but more intense, way to the way I'm currently relating to sugary convenience foods. I craved coffee to the point where it affected my mood, my ability to concentrate, basically my ability to function. Then I took a two week cleanse. Tons of tinctures and herbs, daily yoga, no sugar, no bread, no dairy, and no caffeine. When the two weeks were over, the cravings were gone and I was free of the coffee monster.

So, tomorrow I'll give my awesome coworker a call to get that recipe. (I've been posting anecdotes of my awesome coworkers on facebook for the last couple of weeks.) Wish me luck!

Status symbols, self image, and community

2010-08-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

I've had a few ideas for a blog post running around in my head for the past week or so, and most of them revolved around status. Why is status so important to us as humans? How much do I still buy into the status symbols of popular culture? What affects my status here at the ETC, and how do I strive to maintain and better my status within my community?

Recently, I went to go see a movie with a couple of ladies here. The woman driving picked me up in a gleaming white and gold Mercedes Benz. A new one. A nice one. As I rode to the theater in a tan-leather-upholstered lap of luxury, I was actually a bit uncomfortable. Once I tried to find the source of the discomfort (no I wasn't sitting on the seat belt buckle), something occur ed to me. I didn't want to be seen in such an ostentatious display of wealth. Here I've been driving someone else's beater (bless her heart, she still runs with 210,000 miles on her), wearing second hand clothes, and scrambling to figure out what to do with a bushel of cumbers other than make more pickles than I could eat in five years. And I'm proud of it. To ride around in such a status symbol machine made me feel a bit like a hypocrite. But, it also made me reflect on what my status symbols are and why I value them so much.

What bubbled to the surface was the idea that status is linked to self image. In prehistoric times (and still today in some areas) our status is linked to our survival. When your immediate community valued you highly, you had better access to food, shelter, and mates. But, in the modern Western world it's not so cut and dry. Though the system isn't perfect here in the US, we have programs in place to help those who need food and shelter, no matter their standing within their immediate community.

So, why do so many people (and I'm including myself in this) still yearn for status symbols? Once we've got enough food in our belly, and a safe place to live, shouldn't the need to elevate our standing with others subside? Why do my eyes linger on the beautiful old two story homes as I drive by? Why do I still lust after a Pontiac Firebird, just as I have ever since I became aware of cars as something other than a metal box on wheels? Partly, maybe even largely, it's about self image.

I could go the easy route and blame our popular culture, the ad agencies, and the mass media for poisoning me into believing that I can't feel good about myself unless everyone around me is jealous of the cool stuff I own. But at this point in my life, that's a bit like going to the therapist and whingeing on about how my parents ruined my life. (They didn't, by the way.) Sure, maybe once I was influenced by these outside forces to the point that I didn't know how to evaluate their effect on my psyche. But, I'm all grown up now (sarcastic wink), and can see how pop culture seeks to manipulate the way I view myself.

So, I decided to take a look at my current status symbols, how they came to be my current ones, and how they affect my self image. In a nut shell, here are how some of my possessions give me an artificial, temporary boost in my self esteem.

Jars of spaghetti sauce: Yep, you read that right: spaghetti sauce. I learned to can food this year. This summer we received something in the range of enough tomatoes to feed New York City from the CSA we belong to. So, every week I'd spend a day making and putting up spaghetti sauce, tomato juice, and salsa. At first I was just proud of the new ability I had taught myself, but then I started to notice how other people reacted to the growing collection of filled glass jars on the shelf. Preserving food is a valued and respected skill here. My coworkers, friends, and even complete strangers praised me on my work. They would smile, and we would have conversations on their past canning experiences, or those of their grandparents. I would get a little ego boost each time, making me feel like my ability to can spaghetti sauce is one reason why people like me. Logically, I know that my friends would love hanging out with me even if I had never put up a jar of tomatoes in my life. But, the part of me that's still figuring out my standing here, that's still a bit insecure about my place in this new job and lifestyle, really liked the positive reinforcement.
Hand knit socks: These are another one of those, "Hey, look what I can do!" status symbols. Whether I'm knitting them or wearing them, hand knit items are bound to spark conversation and elicit praise. I think of them as a warm and fuzzy boost to my ego.
My laptop: Ok, so this one is pretty conventional. Almost everyone I know has their techy status symbol, and usually they start with the letter "i" these days. These techy status symbols have definitely made their way into the "green" movement. Here at the ETC I am ever surprised at the amount of plastic gadgets people bring through here. The newest phones, big honkin' laptops, itty bitty cameras. The latest and greatest electronic devices all parade through here in a place that strives to show people a way of life unplugged from lure of consumerism. So, why do I have one? Um...I'm not quite sure about that. I have access to a shared computer. I could use that for almost everything I want to do, except for entertainment. My laptop allows me to play music and movies where ever I am. It's lovely big screen and keyboard also gets an "ooooo, that's nice" from whoever happens to be looking over my shoulder when I open it up.
Clay stained shorts: Ok, this one may seem really weird on the surface. Dirty clothes as a status symbol? Yes! The clay stains on those jean shorts were earned by spending hours learning to build with natural materials. Cob, light clay straw, earthen plaster, and cordwood were all done by little ole me while wearing those jeans. I may not look like a builder regularly, but when I don those shorts, they tell my story for me.

So, what am I learning about my self image as I take stock of my status symbols? I think they represent a big shift from the traditional view. I don't seem to be too interested in gaining status within my community by flaunting my wealth. The only big ticket item I own (my car) isn't even here with me. Instead, I want to be noticed for my skills: canning, knitting, building. My status within my community is based on what I can physically accomplish, not what I can purchase from the earnings of what I'm accomplishing. They also say that I am still working to gain status within my community. I still have a need to impress the people around me, to get their positive attention and to be reassured that I am valued within the group.

What does that say about my current community? It says that I have surrounded myself with people who also value work that physically accomplishes practical goals. My friends and coworkers are excited to see the canned food because they know the value of storing an abundant harvest to consume when that food is out of season. They oooo and ahhhh over my knit socks because they understand the desire to create art in our every day existence. They also wear stained, faded, or ripped clothes on occasion because they live a life that incorporates physical labor to some extent or another. So, where does the laptop fit in? Information and communication are very important. I'm living an experimental lifestyle right now. We're rediscovering, reworking, and some times just flat out inventing ways to live happier, healthier lives. The computer, and more pointedly, the internet is an essential tool. Without it, we would have much less contact with other people that are living the same experiment all over the globe. This laptop is infact my gateway to my global community.

So...what do your status symbols say about you and your community?

Adventures in Being a Social Animal

2010-06-20T17:48:00.000-07:00

If you go with the theory of evolution, humans are primates, and primates are social animals. They value their standing within their group and strive to create bonds of companionship that help them maintain or better that standing. One of the reasons I started this blog was to keep track of how my standing within my community effects my happiness. And, boy howdy, did I have an experiential lesson in that this week.

My job here at the Ecovillage Training Center is innkeeper. Which, while the permaculture program apprentices are still housed in the inn, involves making sure that everyone knows and respects the living agreements. Please don't smoke near the hostel, clean out the sink when you're done washing dishes, sign up for cook shifts in the kitchen, don't leave personal toiletries in the shared bathrooms, bla ble bla ble bla. The list goes on and on. I've also been initiating community building meetings called "check ins" where apprentices, and any staff that choose to participate, get a chance to talk about their week, celebrate their successes, and air any grievances. In my opinion, (and not just my opinion, many people have written about the value of regular information sharing sessions in community) they are an integral part of successful community living.

This week it came to my attention that another community member was encouraging apprentices to bend some agreements that had been set at a recent staff meeting. Also, I heard through the grapevine that the apprentices were not enjoying check ins and didn't want to continue them. To put it mildly, I was upset. No one had come to me with their dislike of check ins. Nothing had been mentioned at a staff meeting about a desire to change an agreement. Nothing.

At first, I was livid. Thoughts like, "Here I am busting my hump, working fourteen hour days, sometimes seven days a week. I get up at 6:30 in the morning to make sure that every animal that lives here (chickens, ducks, and people) have food in their bellies. I cook three meals a day for about ten people. I've spent my time and energy figuring out a way to reduce the apprentice's and live in staff's food costs by designing and running a kitchen cooperative. I'm doing my best to make sure that we all have a safe, clean, inviting living space that will accommodate both apprentices and paying guests. I'm trying to teach them important life skills like basic cooking and community process that will be so incredibly valuable to them, both in the present and the future. And what's the thanks that I get? I get branded a domineering dorm mother authority figure that has to be lied to be kept ignorant and placated."

I vented all this out at two other staff members that do not live here on site, ending up in tears over the realization that I am not viewed by the people I live with as a valued community member. That primate need to feel secure within my group status was not being met. And it hurt my heart to the very core.

Fortunately, the two other staff gave me the attention I needed. After my tears had run their course and I was able to calm down a bit, they asked what support they could give me to help in this situation. I asked for help from everyone with enforcing the agreements and for us all to talk with the person who's actions seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. We called over the community member that was playing the good cop with the apprentices (as opposed to my role as bad cop) and I got a chance to express my emotions in a safe space. I tried my best to present how I was feeling without any blame games.

the person we called over acknowledged that he was aware of being lax in the keeping of the agreements. He explained that it has been a pattern in his life to try to be the good guy, and had slipped back into that here. He also expressed some concerns that he thought needed to be addressed about the agreements he was bending, and as a group the four of us were able to hash out a compromise.

It was such a relief to be heard. And also a relief to hear. And with that relief, came a change in my personality. I feel more relaxed and more inclined to socialize with my community members, both staff and apprentices. And, I notice how this is changing how other people relate to me. If people don't automatically assume I'm on the war path when approaching them, I get a much nicer reception.

I care about living in community, and I honestly care about my co's (short for community members.) I want to know when they have a problem that I can help with, especially if my behavior is contributing to it. When in community, it's important to remember that we are in this for the long haul. Every body has faults, and sometimes our actions hurt each other. But, avoiding confrontation only intensifies the problem by creating emotional rifts. These rifts can tear a community apart. The good news is that these rifts may be prevented with open and honest communication, along with a desire from everyone to be mindful of the need to balance our wants with the wants of our co's.

Musings on Avatar. The First of a Few, Probably.

2010-06-15T06:41:00.000-07:00

Here at the ETC, our last working DVD player bit the big one recently. Fortunately, my laptop hooks up to our projector, so every once in a while we pop some popcorn and have a movie night. Sunday night it was Avatar.

I hadn't seen it yet, and had heard reviews that ranged from "a wonderful message about respect for the earth" to "a technical masterpiece, but only so-so on content" to "another patronizing film about a 'white man gone native' saving the unprepared savages from his former people." So, I decided to watch it and form my own opinion. I never made it to the end.

For those who haven't seen Avatar (associate link), it's a science fiction flick where the basic premise is that a mining corporation wants a mineral that sits under a great tree on another planet. This tree, and the surrounding land, is the home of a group of indigenous people who rely on the tree for their connection to the land and each other. The corporation employed two different methods of convincing the natives to leave. The first was a diplomatic solution in which alien bodies, matched to particular humans, are grown in a lab. The matched humans are then mentally linked to them, and with the help of a machine can shift their consciousness between their human bodies and their alien bodies, or "avatars." This process involved scientific exploration, schools set up to teach the native population English, and to teach their children Earth ways. The scientists in the avatars hoped to gain the native people's trust and negotiate a treaty to mine. The second solution was to evacuate them with military force. The first didn't work, so the second happened. And that's where I had to leave the room.

Earlier, I had spent a good bit of the same day comfortably seated around a table with about seven other people, rolling dice and fighting my way through swamp monsters, zombie vampire bats, and evil devotees of the Demon Lord Azmular (or some such.) RPG (roll playing game) fever has hit the ETC and I was totally bit by the bug. Over the course of a couple of days, I designed a fairly indepth character, even writing out a few paragraphs to help me come up with a back story for her wandering around adventuring with a random group of people, or rather, elves. I really enjoyed the game, too. It was the first time in quite a while that I had just taken time off to simply hang out with my current community members in a capacity other than instructor or dorm mother. I felt refreshed and rested by the end of the day of gaming and was very grateful to KMO for all the time he put into designing the story line to our first adventure.

But, as I laid on the couch, staring up at a projector screen filled first with images of a people deeply connected to their home, both spiritually and through some sort of unknown biological link, then filled with war, fire and death, the ramifications of what I had just spent my day doing hit home in a way I was not expecting. It started with the realization that this movie is based on an old, old pattern in human behavior. We have enslaved and killed each other over non-essential resources for a long time, and we are still doing it today. Gold, diamonds, petroleum, chocolate. None of these things are essential to our survival, yet we are willing to end another person's life to own and use them. And if you think that you and I aren't part of that "we," think again. Even though I live in a place that teaches ways to reduce consumption and bring daily life back down to the local level, I am still part of the global economy. Every time I buy food that was trucked into the grocery store, every time I buy a ball point pen made in China, every time I ride in a car, I am contributing to the suffering and death of another person. And so are you.

A big part of my reason for being at the ETC is to reduce my dependence on our current consumerist system based on persecution and death. I didn't come to this conviction overnight. In fact, I had a big light bulb moment when I was about sixteen. I was in my high school's Junior Air Force ROTC program. I was making amazing grades. I wore the little blue Airman uniform to school once a week. Heck, I was even on the drill team. My plan was to join the Air Force and use that to help pay for my college education. Then, one day it hit me. I was setting myself up to allow some people to train me to kill other people. Even if I chose to pursue a non-combat career, I would still have to go through basic training. I would still voluntarily go through the process of convincing myself to see another person as "the enemy" and to operate from the fear that if I don't kill him/her, then he/she will kill me first.

Now, don't get me wrong. I have the greatest respect for people who walk the warrior path by being willing to give their lives to defend those that can't defend themselves. But, I knew deep in my heart that it was not my path. Amidst the protest of the Major and Sergent that ran the program, I withdrew from ROTC and vowed never to allow myself to view another human being as an expendable unit.

And yet, there I had sat all day doing just that. They may have been imaginary creatures and people, but the principle is the same. I had started down a path I never wanted to walk again, skipping merrily along, wrapped up in the group mind and forgetting that we create our reality through where we focus our attention. I know that the game is just a game. I know that I am not truly contemplating violence against real people. But, if I continue to participate in a game that celebrates how efficiently and creatively our group can work together to violently slay an opponent, how will that shift the way I react to confrontation on a daily basis? How will programming my brain to release pleasurable chemicals to my body at the thought of resolving conflict through violence effect real interactions with my community members? What kind of reality am I creating not only for myself, but also those around me?

So, I am retiring from the game. I will miss it. Or, rather, I will miss this particular vehicle for having fun with people I enjoy hanging out with. I'll just have to come up with something else. I think there used to be a fire pit around here somewhere. I wonder if we can clean it up? The ebb and flow of conversation around a camp fire is more my style, anyway.

Unmet Expectaions. Hopes for the Future.

2010-06-05T22:36:00.000-07:00

Expectations. I've got them, you've got them, everybody's got them. I've been learning a lot about them over the past two months, and let me tell you, it's been a bumpy ride.

When I came to the Ecovillage Training Center as innkeeper this March, my expectations were to craft my year in such a way that I would build a following on this blog, work with the ETC apprentices on homesteading skills, and possibly have the basis for a book on simple living practices by the end of the fall. These expectations gave me a sense of purpose and excitement about working here. I expected my goals to improve not only my situation, but to also attract positive attention to this amazing educational facility.

Boy howdy, I was in for a surprise with the first round of apprentices. We had three very different people come here in April, each with their own set of expectations about how their two months should go. Not many of them jived with mine. Lessons on yogurt making were unattended, canned and boxed convenience foods made their way into our daily diet, and basic chores seemed to be viewed as major inconveniences. My role here drifted further and further away from someone offering valuable instruction in the domestic side of permaculture and homesteading, to a sort of frat house dorm mother. The joy of living in community I had experienced here last summer just wasn't manifesting. Needless to say I wasn't happy about this and wasted a good amount of this beautiful spring season being angry and disappointed.

With the summer, however, comes a new group of apprentices. And with them come more shifts in my role here at the ETC. My hope (a slightly less dangerous emotion that expectation, I pray) is that by taking a more proactive approach in emphasizing the importance of structured communication, shared meals, living space caretaking (also called chores), and DIY food skills I'll help to create a cohesive and vibrant community here at the hostel.

Apprenticeship orientation is this Monday. I'm taking all of Tuesday to spend with the group in a community building session. In it, we will talk about what we desire in community, both in general and specifically this one. I hope to learn the expectations of these six new people concerning their stay here, and to express my desires about the next two months. I've been reading Diana Leafe Christian's Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities (affiliate link), and have gleaned a few ideas for exercises that will hopefully bring into focus a shared vision for June and July. This shared vision could help fuel the group's desire to work together, not only on "official apprenticeship learning opportunities," but also on the little, everyday habits that make community living possible.

Honestly, at this point, I've learned not to expect that the new folks will be overly excited about the cooking skills I have to offer, or to revel in the joy of taking an afternoon to crank up the stereo and clean the house as a group. But, I dare to hope that with a little time and a little sharing of our dreams for the future, we can spend the next two months working towards the goal of creating and maintaining the amazing, messy, fun, difficult, beautiful manifestation that is community life.

Banishing Energy Use Ignorance

2010-05-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

Does living in an ecovillage setting automatically mean that I’m living simply? As I sit here sipping my orange ginseng soda and munching on little bits of chocolate covered candied ginger, I have to wonder really how much simpler my life is now as compared to my daily habits before coming to The Farm.

I definitely spend less money, but does that translate into consuming less? My electricity, propane, water, internet, housing, some food, and gasoline I use for business purposes are included as perks for my job (technically a volunteer position with a stipend.) But am I actually using less of these resources? Honestly, I don’t know. So, instead of living in energy use ignorance I am doing something about it. Throughout the summer, I am going to do my best to figure out just how much electricity, water, and fuel I actually consume. It’s a big task, especially since I’m living communally in a inn that takes in guests! I also don’t see any of the bills, so I’ll need to get permission from my boss to view those.

To keep things simple (as I am trying to do in all areas of my life), I’m starting with the one I can track on my own: gasoline. I drive much less on a daily basis, as I don‘t have a commute anymore. But, living in the country means traveling to get groceries. Other than the limited produce selection at The Farm Store, the closest place to get organic food is forty five minutes of interstate driving away.

So, what’s better, organic or local? When looking at petroleum use, local wins hands down. An organic orange from California (I’m in Tennessee) is still trucked just as many miles as its pesticide laden counterpart. The rural Deep South isn’t known for its abundance of organic produce, but I bet if I hunt around I could find some locally. There’s a new CSA* starting in the area that’s specializing in organic, heirloom veggies. There’s also a large Amish population in the area, and though they don’t normally use organic practices, their food would be fresh and local. Heck, if I put a notice in the Free Press (the Farm’s newsletter) I may even be able to buy or trade for some of the Farm resident’s extra garden produce.

Ok, my plan for June :

Keep track of the miles I drive, along with the gasoline used, to figure out the mileage on the car I’m currently using. It’s a, um…well loved Saturn hatchback with about 200,000 miles on it.
Also record how many miles I travel in other people’s cars and ask them if they know the mileage on their vehicle. If not, I’ll look up the standard mileage for their car model online.
Cut back on “ghost mileage,” or mileage that doesn’t involve me physically being in a car. In other words, I’ll try to buy as locally as possible.

This should give me a fair idea of how much gasoline I’m using. Stay tuned for my report on these goals, and to see what energy use ignorance I tackle next.

*CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, a system where consumers buy a share of a farm's yield before the growing season, and are therefor entitled to a regular allotment of the farm's produce during the season. This system allows farmers to obtain funding to buy seed and supplies when they need it, and gives them a better idea of how much food to grow each season.

Merry's Fake Mocha

2010-05-08T12:29:00.000-07:00

Being the only non-caffeine drinker amongst a group of coffee fiends can be a bit of a challenge. Three, sometimes four, french press's worth of the brown liquid get consumed at breakfast time here at the ETC. Even though I don't want the caffeine high (then low), the amazing aroma is such a temptation at 7am.

So, I've decided to fight back. No more will I long for the convience of a drive-though decaf latte, or a decadent decaf mocha from my (previously) local Starbucks. I have now taken my coffee consumption into my own hands, and have created a yummy concoction I've dubbed, "Merry's Fake Mocha."

Here's the recipe:

While a cup of water is heating in the kettle, put in your mug:
1 teaspoon instant decaf coffee
1 teaspoon (or more) of carob powder
1 big glop (maybe a table spoon?) of molasses

Once the kettle sings, fill the mug about 3/4 of the way full of the hot water and stir. Fill the rest of the way with either whole milk or half & half.

The carob and the molasses combine to give you that bitter-sweet taste of a good, dark chocolate without the caffeine buzz. The generous amount of dairy makes it taste like a $4 cup-o-joe from a coffee house. The only drawback? The carob powder leaves a bit of grittiness in the bottom of the mug. I just chug the last couple of sips, and I'm good to go!

It's not easy being (light, bright, or dark) green.

2010-05-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

A friend recently wrote to me and asked, “What are you opinions on the light green, dark green, and bright green movements? Which of those do you think you most align with and why?”

Don’t know what the light, dark, and bright green movements are? Neither did I. My first instinct was to make some sort of quip about laundry, but then I googled them. After reading just two articles, a long e-mail came pouring out. It helped me put some amorphous thoughts into shape, so I wanted to share it here.

I don't go into the definitions of the shades of green here. If you would like to know more, click here or here to check out the two articles I read.

I guess when I'm out in the "real world," I'm a light green with bright and dark tendencies, depending on my mood. Though I consider myself “green,” I recently lived in a sprawling suburb of Dallas, shopped at Whole Foods, and drove a twenty minute commute to work.

While I'm here at the ETC, I'm a bit of all three. Much of my produce still comes from the grocery, and a blend of organic and conventional food finds its way into my basket. The electricity in the hostel here is a mix of grid and solar, and though I try my best turn out lights and not leave my charger plugged in, I still consume a fair amount each day. But, the skills I'm learning and the communal life I'm leading is more in line with what our future could look like if the dark greens are right. After a tumultuous time of upheaval and change, smaller population, lighter energy use, and homesteading skills such as growing food and building with local materials could be the basis for the new way of life. But, instead of the doom and gloom, "we're all going to die unless we scrap everything and start over" outlook, I prefer the bright attitude of moving forward with what we have, and not throwing the baby out with the bath water.

On a political level, the large scale decision making system in the US is sick, and is doing its best to spread the illness around the world. Amongst the behemoth that is the global governmental and economic structure, though, there is still the ability for local action. The dark green in me is excited to see places like Portland take back their neighborhoods, and the attention to self regulation through group process at Dancing Rabbit. But, it also warns that a system that gives more power to the local councils and decision making bodies is a step in the right direction only if those bodies are reminded by their communities that they do not live in a vacuum. Local communities need to keep in mind that the decisions they make affect not only their immediate surroundings, but also the planet's ecological, economic, and cultural landscape. Without a larger body of government that honestly values and fosters both open communication and an informed populace, I fear that smaller groups will fall into violent squabbling over shared resources, such as water and land.

When pushed to give an answer of whether I am bright or dark on the issue of what people can do on a daily basis to reduce their negative impact on the environment, I would have to say bright. Sort of. Maybe more of a dark-ish bright? I like the ideas of larger scale change, such as urban revitalization and federal tax breaks for alternative energy sources. But, these can only be successful if the culture at large is aware of, and supports, the motivations behind these actions. When change starts to happen at such a large level, even change that could lead to what seems like a healthier environment and community in the short term, sometimes it’s difficult for the individual to see who’s really benefiting from it.

Here, at the cusp of a change the scale of which humanity has never seen, the cliché “think globally, act locally” has never been more relevant. My interests in natural building and community living have lead me to see that things which we now consider radical acts of disobedience, such as meeting our own food, housing and waste disposal needs, were once a core part of what it meant to be a successful community. But, by the small, persistent steps of those who believe that people can live both comfortably and lightly on the Earth through educated changes in lifestyle, the pendulum is swinging back. Just a few years ago, when I visited my first eco-village, or when I took my first workshop in building with earth, I remember having to explain on a regular basis what I was doing, and why. Even many “light greens” couldn’t see why I would pay good money to camp in the heat and build someone else’s house.

These days, partly due to the popular attitude of “green is sexy,” many people nod their head and make encouraging noises when I talk about my current situation. Sleeping in a restored school bus, cooking in a communal kitchen, and living in an educational facility focused on teaching sustainability skills seems like a grand adventure to folks that previously twirled their index finger next to their ear while my back was turned. For the past thirty years, most people who proposed the idea that we should consider the environmental and cultural ramifications of our every day actions were ignored, hushed up, or even ostracized (just ask Jimmy Carter.) Now, some cities are supporting repurposing abandoned lots into community gardens, are entertaining the idea of composting toilets, and are creating workable building codes for strawbale and earthen construction techniques.

I find it encouraging that through the hard work of people now termed dark or bright green, there is a phenomenon like the light green category. Yes, they may be basing their decisions on what is fed to them through popular culture. Yes, they may be misinformed as to the true ramifications of their actions. Yes, they may be being taken advantage of by skewed advertising techniques. But, hey, we all got to start somewhere. The kid who sees his mother recycling may one day grow up to design urban wetland grey water systems. Or, the one who notices her parents changing their incandescent light bulbs to CFLs may later build a passive solar community center. Everything we do makes a difference. No matter what label we or society creates, it’s up to us to shape what that difference will be.

photo taken by ecstaticist

Rhubarb and Apple Pie

2010-04-16T13:16:00.001-07:00

When the rhubarb started doing its thing in the garden last week, I knew I had to make pie. I didn't have enough to make a strictly rhubarb confection, so I mixed it with another fruit. Strawberry is the traditional accompaniment but, at $2.50 a quart it's a little out of the price range of the kitchen cooperative I belong to. Instead, I used what we had laying around: Granny Smith apples.

The recipe below was inspired by Rhubarb Custard Pie on the Squidoo lens, Rhubarb Recipes. I tweaked it a bit to accommodate our temporary lack of eggs (we now have chickens!) and, of course, added the apples. The pie filling itself is vegan, though the crust I used was not.

Ingrediants
1 1/2 cups fresh rhubarb stalk, diced small (as if you were dicing celery for salad)
1 1/2 cups Granny Smith apple, in cubes about the size of your rhubarb
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons flax seed, ground fine in a coffee grinder
2 Tablespoons hot water
Ingredients for your favorite pie crust

Crust
I used the Pate Brisee pie crust from the 1964 Joy of Cooking, substituting butter for the lard it called for. I was in a bit of a hurry, so I only let it chill for less than an hour. While it was chilling, I made the filling.

Filling
In a heat-proof cup (such as a coffee mug), mix hot water with the ground flax seed. This will become gooey and makes for a nice egg substitute.

While flax is gooey-ing, combine rhubarb, apple, sugar and flour in a bowl. Pour gooey flax mixture over filling and stir. Let this sit while you roll out and prepare your pie dough. The sugar will break down the fruit a bit and creates a yummy, custard-ish consistency.

Follow your dough's instructions for rolling out and pre-baking. Once the bottom pie shell is crisp, pour in the filling, and set your oven to 375 degrees F. Top the pie with the other half of the crust in what ever manner makes you happy. I topped my pie with a lattice crust, and it was very pretty.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until your nose tells you it's done!

This was the first time I had ever eaten rhubarb pie. It was scrumptious! Unfortunately, I neglected to take a picture of it before the hordes descended upon it, but I did get a pic of the rhubarb itself before it went into the pie. In the picture, it's still got the leaves on it (the rhubarb is on the left.) Please be sure not to include these in your pie. Just use the stalks and everyone will be quite happy with the outcome.

Cooking Cooperatives: Save Resource, Build Community

2010-04-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

Over the past fifty years or so, most of Western culture has been convinced that working with food and preparing meals on a daily basis is menial work. Though an ironic mix of 1950's nuclear family idealism and the latter rise of women's lib, we now think the task of cooking should either be outsourced (by going to a restaurant) or done as quickly as possible by a single person with the aid of as many convenience foods as possible.

This is a big break from the old way of multi generational living and cooking. With aunts, uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers in the house, there is not only extra hands to help, but a vast amount of food lore is passed down from one generation to the next. Now, with our highly mobile society that encourages family members to live far apart we've lost the opportunity to learn from each other. Or, have we?

Cooking cooperative (known also as co-ops) give people the chance to gather together, talk, laugh, share stories and yes, cook. There are several different models of co-ops, each serving a slightly different purpose.

One model works well with a small gorup of people all living near eachother, such as in the same apartment building or neighborhood. Once a day, one person cooks a dinner for the whole group, divides and packages it up, then delivers it to the households of the other members. There's no communal meal preparation, and the cook tends to have autonomy on meal decisions within a set of guidelines on subjects such as food price and dietary preferences. The sharing of cooking duties is the main focus here rather than socializing, but it can still happen over a cup of tea or on the front porch at delivery time. And, as different members prepare for the group, neighbors get a chance to learn new recipes or techniques from each other.

A second model of cooking cooperative provides a more family-holiday-like social atmosphere. Co-op members gather together once or twice a week and collectively cook dishes large enough to make the meals for all the members until the next gathering. They then divide the dishes up and take their individual portions home, ready to heat up later. The gatherings can rotate from one person's house to the next, allowing members to share their family's recipes, handy kitchen gadgets, favorite spices, etc. This model works well for people who may live in the same town, but not necessarily within the same neighborhood or building. Many people participating in this type of co-op enjoy the community building aspect of it, and the focus on spending time developing friendships as much as they do the convenience of sharing resources and cooking duties.

A third model of co-op is very similar to a family kitchen. It works best when members people are living in the same community or household and sharing a common kitchen and stock of food. All of the cooking and food storage happens in the same kitchen, rather than in individuals' homes. It can be frequently found in cohousing or intentional communities where people are committed to both cooking and dining together on a regular basis. Members share resources, either by pooling money to cover grocery bills or by buying food individually and contributing it to the co-op. They then sign up for cooking and cleaning shifts throughout the week, sharing these duties among them. This can be a fairly flexible model, allowing the co-op to decide how many times per week they want to share meals.

The kitchen I'm cooking in now runs under this model, currently providing three meals a day for a core group of five people. I also cooked out of the same kitchen last summer, when it fed anywhere from eleven to thirty people. I'll be blogging about it more in depth on the ETC blog, Terra Firma, but I do want to say here what an amazingly rewarding expeience it's been cooking in a shared kitchen with such a variety of people from many different backgrounds. I've learned so much, and have laughed, sung, and even danced my way through many a cook or clean shift. One sultry summer evening, we were even serenaded with gypsy clarinet music!

However you decide to share food and time together, know that you are not only saving resources, but that you are participating in a radical reclamation of a part of our collective humanity. It's the part of us that actually enjoys and embraces that wonderful, beautiful, messy, creative and (dare I say it?) fun everyday miracle called "making dinner."

Wait, was that March?

2010-03-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

Well, my first month back at the Ecovillage Training Center on The Farm has been a doozy! My life basically revolved around getting the inn ready for the season, and I had little time for anything else. Like sleep. Or blogging. So, I'm extending the food theme for another month, and jumping back on the blog waggon.

Good surprises awaited me here at the ETC, along with the scrubbing of baseboards and the endless rounds of laundry. It's been great to see familiar faces, and to meet new ones. The guy up the road has already hosted two saunas, and I've had fun at a couple of community gatherings. I've even got a housemate, who goes by the name KMO, to share the kitchen duties with. I cook, he cleans. Which works just fine for the both of us. Some of you out there may know of him, as he publishes a weekly podcast on climate change, etc. Hop on over to c-realmpodcast.podomatic.com to check it out.

I'm also loving being here for spring! It's still chilly at night, but the daffodils and cherry trees are really doing their thing. The chickweed and mint from the garden make for amazing additions to dinner salads, and the shiitake logs are producing more mushrooms than I know what to do with. I have a feeling that the dehydrator and I are going to get to know each other real soon.

Well, that's it for now. Consider this a "priming the pump" post. Swing back around next week for a look at the different structures for cooking co-ops, and how you can create community around that everyday miracle called "making dinner."

Simply Cooking Resources: LocalHarvest.com

2010-03-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

In Sunday's post, I shared with you four easy ways to save yourself time and money in the kitchen. One of those was to buy your food directly from the farmer, through a CSA.

LocalHarvest.com is an online directory for all things local food-ish. You can search for local CSAs, farmers markets, grocery co ops, and even restaurants that feature local and organic food. There's a forum with discussions such as "Value Added Products" and "Jobs and Internships." There's even a newsletter, an event calendar, and blog posts from members to help you keep up to date on what's going on in the local food movement.

Best of all it's totally free, even for the farmers! Yes, non-GMO (genetically modifies organism) family farms, farmers markets, and small businesses focused on local foods can list for free. See their sign up page for more details.

New to eating local and not sure what a CSA is? Check out this video and the following FAQs:

What's a CSA?

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Many small farmers are starting their own CSAs, or joining together to bring you fresh, local produce.

As a member of a CSA, you buy a share of the farmer's yield either upfront at the beginning of the growing season, or in weekly installments. In return you receive either weekly packages of their harvest. Usually you pick these up at a convenient drop-off point, or at the farm itself.

What can I expect in my package?

You can expect local, seasonal, fresh food. Outside of that, each CSA is unique as the farm(s) contributing to it. Some CSAs are simply produce, while others include options for eggs, dairy and meat. Honey or even wine can find their way into a CSA. There are even CSAs for wool, where your membership guarantees you the wool from your very own sheep! It all depends on what grows well in your area, and what's being produced by your local farms.

How much do I get in each package?

Each CSA sets its own rules for distribution, but most offer options for both bushel and half-bushel pick ups.

Are CSAs organic?

Some are, some aren't. If organic is a priority for you, look around and ask questions

Where else can I find a CSA?

Your local farmers market or health food store is a great place to ask about CSAs. At the market, you'll get to meet the farmer face-to-face and get a peek at what kind of produce he or she would include in the CSA. If you don't have a farmer's market in your area, check out a health food store. They may know of local sources for fresh food.

Simply Cooking Tips: Saving Money and Time in the Kitchen

2010-02-28T16:36:00.000-08:00

As I get ready to take up the reins as the innkeeper of the EcoHostel of the EcoVillage Training center on The Farm, my thoughts turn to food. One of my jobs this year will be to make sure that everyone is fed, and that the kitchen stays well stocked and clean. Last summer, the hostel played host to any where from 11 to 30 people on any given day. A constant stream of apprentices, instructors and guests (all with their particular dietary requirements) needed to be fed. Needless to say, the kitchen was the busiest room in the house. During that flurry of cooking and cleaning, I picked up some great tips on reducing both time and monetary food costs while increasing the quality of food you enjoy on a daily basis.

Buy in Bulk
Many staple foods such as rice, oats and beans store beautifully. Purchase these dry foods in bulk, and save on your long term cost. Buying in bulk also reduces packaging, keeping your kitchen trash to a minimum. ShopOrganic.com and BulkWholeFoods.com both have a nice organic selection.

Join a CSA
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. CSAs are a great way to make sure that you are getting fresh, local and sometimes even organic produce. Many small farms are now offering the opportunity to buy directly from them, rather than through a grocery store or market. You pay for the food up front, either at the beginning of the growing season or in weekly installments. Then, as the produce is grown you pick up your share on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. And CSAs aren't limited to fresh produce. Wool, grain and even wines are now sold through community supported agriculture. Visit LocalHarvest.org to find a CSA near you.

Cook Once, Eat Twice
When you cook your evening meal, make enough to have as lunch the next day. That way you just heat up your lunch instead of having to cook a brand new meal. Don't want to do this every day? Try it on days where you know you'll be in a rush and know that you'll have a delicious, quick meal in the middle of the day no matter how busy you are.

Cook With Other People
One of my favorite things about living in a house full of people last summer was sharing cook shifts with others. Even an innocent, "Can you use any help in here?" could land you a job peeling potatoes or chopping garlic while all around you there was music, laughter and sometimes impromptu dancing. One night we were even treated to live gypsy music on the clarinet!

Cooking with other people is a fun way to make large amounts of food. You don't need to be living with 30 other people to practice it, either. Get some friends together once a week, cook some large dishes or soups, then divvy up the meals so that everyone gets a little of everything. Store the meals in your fridge, and just heat them up as you need them. Check out this article: Cook One Meal, Eat For a Week for ideas on how to start a cooking co op.

Revving up for Living Simply: The Thought Process Behind My Decluttering & Four Tips On How To Get Started

2010-02-13T09:01:00.000-08:00

So, I've been playing around with the ideas of minimalism and living simply for a few weeks now. I'm slimming down what I own in preparation for a move, and I am determined to pack as little as possible. At first, my only qualification for holding on to something was Keep around you only those things that bring you joy. Cost of and previous attachments to an object had no say in whether or not I kept it. It was simple: if I felt pure, unmuddied joy when holding an object I kept it. If not, off to my local charity resale shop it went.

Then, I started to hear "the voice." You know which one I mean. The one in the back of your head that says, "But, your Aunt Mildred gave that to you. She would be heartbroken if you gave it away," or, "You made that deformed clay owl when you were five years old. You can't just pitch it in the trash! It's part of who you are!" And, in the corner of my room there manifested a pile of Things The Voice Didn't Want Me To Give Away. It currently contains an eclectic group of objects including a plastic recorder I got when I was thirteen and a museum quality steel sword given to me as a high school graduation gift.

Last week, I went in search of ways to overpower that voice. I stumbled across Everett Bouge's new ebook, The Art of Being Minimalist. A bit of advice he gives jumped out at me: Live with only 100 things. I know, it sounds a bit extreme, right? The thought behind it is that as human beings, we are capable of keeping track of about 150 people on a daily basis. After that, you start to get that "I know your face, but can't quite remember your name," thing going on. So, why not apply that to your stuff? If you only have a limited number of things in your space you cut down on clutter, don't have to pay for a storage unit, can more easily travel, and can live in a smaller (read: less expensive) place. Not a bad deal, right? Right. That is, until "the voice" gets wind of what's going on.

After I made the commitment to carry only 100 things with me to The Farm, I immediately wrote out a list. Then I thought of ten more things I wanted. After a day of internal struggle, I extended the list to 120 things. And then thought of about five more things. More internal struggle, and the list grew to 150. You see a pattern here? For me it was a signal to take a breath and re-examine what I was doing and why.

After a few bouts of journalling and about three long soaks in the tub (my favorite way of mulling over a problem - I call it my "think tank" har har) I came to the conclusion that I started this as a way to improve my quality of life, not to stress over a specific number. I want to get my possessions down to an amount that is easy to transport in a shared car, and that still gives me a sense of "home" when unpacked and displayed in my living space. So, to do that I'm back to the "joy rule." Also, the once dreaded "voice" is now welcomed into the process. Instead of trying to overpower it, I pay attention to it and use it as a sort of barometer.

For example: I love my hand knitted gloves and mittens. They bring me joy. All four pairs of them. I was originally planning on packing only one, but a part of me cried out at the thought of loosing any of them. Basically, I don't want to choose among them. So, I'm not. Not only are they practical (they keep my hands warm) but they are little works of art in their own right, and could even be used as decoration. On the other hand (no pun intended), I'm now perfectly willing to let go of my much-loved paperback copy of Marion Z. Bradley's Thendara House. It was my first introduction to what living in community could look like, and it fueled my teenager-finding-her-own-power-feminism of days gone by. For that I am grateful and will always remember it with affection, but, I haven't really read it in years. So, I'm letting it go to my local used book store. Hopefully, someone else will find as much inspiration in it as I did.

Oh, but I haven't abandoned list making entirely. Be on the look out for a list of things I'm bringing with me. In the mean time here's a short list of ideas to keep in mind when decluttering or minimizing:

1. Write down your motivation. Spend some time thinking about why you want to let go of lots of your stuff. Really get to the heart of the matter, then write it down. Maybe even post it somewhere until the process is over. That way, you'll have something to go back to when you need a boost of reassurance. Also, having something coherent and well thought out to say when people start asking questions like, "Why in the world are you giving away all of your stuff?!" can come in handy.

2. Set a time goal. It's easy to drag this process out. And I'm finding that the longer I wait to donate the things I'm letting go of, the more I rethink the decision to let go of some of it. So, I've made an online pickup request to the Salvation Army. It was super easy, and I now have more motivation to get this done in a timely manner.

3. Start with the easy stuff. Trim down the easy stuff first. Let go of the ten half-used bottles of bubble bath under your bathroom sink before you try to tackle something with more emotional oomph behind it. The satisfied feeling you get from just getting started can carry you over into something that might take a little more determination.

4. Be gentle with yourself. Letting go of objects you've held on to for years can be an emotional process. Be kind to the part of you that resists what you are doing. Decluttering isn't a contest. There are no judges. Take a break when you need to. If a particular object brings up baggage to be processed, go ahead. Do some journalling or take a walk, what ever helps you get back to a good space. Remember that you are letting go of what no longer works for you, so that you are surrounded only by what brings you joy.

(photo by garlandcannon / CC BY-SA 2.0)

The Art of Being Minimalist. Everett Bouge's ebook on successfully living simply.

2010-02-02T18:06:00.000-08:00

I've recently discovered Everett Bogue's blog on minimalist living: Far Beyond the Stars. His brand new ebook, The Art of Being Minimalist, sums up what he's learned about simplifying an over-busy life.

Here are some of the highlights:

Ten simple ways to be more minimalist
The one-month rule to keeping clutter out of your life
Why we should support local artists
21 ways to take control of your job
How to firewall your time

This ebook came into my life in just the right time. As I pack for The Farm I've been struggling with what to take with me. In The Art of Being Minimalist, Everett writes about the liberating experience of only owning 100 things. So, I'm going for it. I'm only bringing 100 things with me to Tennessee.

And I'm not the only one. Click here to follow Everett's twitter list of people living with less than 100 things.

I'm also joining his affiliate program. Click here to purchase this ebook and half of the sale will go to supporting my journey in living simply in community.

Decluttering and Packing: What to let go of and what to keep.

2010-01-30T22:18:00.000-08:00

Over the past couple of days I've been deciding what to take with me to Tennessee. I don't have a place to store what I don't take, so I need to slim down all of my worldly possessions to fit into the back of a car. A car I'm sharing with at least one other person, mind you.

This isn't a new thing for me. In 2005 hurricane Katrina damaged the house I was living in and I picked up stakes to come to Texas. About a car load worth of my things were salvageable. Pots & pans, some books, some artwork and machine washable clothes, were stuffed into the trunk and back seat of my Toyota Echo and down the road I went.

The whole time I was sorting through my things, deciding what to keep and what to leave behind, a piece of advice given to me by a good friend rang in my ears:

Keep around you only those things that bring you joy.

So, as I sort through all of the objects I've accumulated since the storm (including the fifteen knitting bags), I'm using that as my guide. It doesn't matter what I paid for it, or who gave it to me. If an object doesn't make me smile when I pick it up, out it goes.

Clothes, books, and yarn (yikes!) will soon be leaving my apartment in droves. Hopefully, they will go on to bring joy to others.

Living Simply: One Couple's Story

2010-01-21T07:21:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite channels on YouTube is PeakMoment, a weekly series focused on self-reliant living such as fostering local economies, transportation alternatives, renewable energy, etc. Recently I caught this interview with Logan Smith and Tammy Strobel, a couple who have slimmed down their consumption. Not only are they living more closely to their values of respect for the earth, but have transformed their financial lives from debt to independence! Check out the video, then scroll down for a resource list for some of the authors they read that inspired then to make a change.

Resource List:

derrickjensen.org The author of many books about the unsustainable practices of our modern culture.
whentechfails.com Matthew Stein brought his expertise as both an MIT graduate of engineering and as the owner of a design and construction company to the table in this book about preparing for possible disaster or instability.
richardheinberg.com Richard's work focuses on our dwindling cheap oil, and the need to transition away from fossil fuels.
yourmoneyoryourlife.info The classic book Your Money Or Your Life gives a step-by-step process on how to transform your relationship with money. A revised version has been recently published with updated advice and information relevant to the moment.

For more info, check out Tammy's blog on their ongoing journey, rowdykittens.com.

Bartering Goods and Services

2010-01-20T06:10:00.000-08:00

Following on the heels of yesterday's post about Heidemarie Schwermer's nearly money-free lifestyle, here's a list of websites dedicated to trading goods and services. Some are locally focused, while others connect to a global community.

freecycle.org - A collection of local groups dedicated to trading within the community
timebanks.org - A database of local barter banks with a focus on services
swapish.com - Post items to trade, or a request for a wanted item. A centralized site, rather than a collection of groups.
neighborrow.com - Local forums to post available and wanted items to *borrow.* How cool is that? I didn't find anything in my neighborhood, but Quincy, IL seems to have a healthy forum going with about 140 items listed.
trashbank.com - Similar to swapish, with an option to sell or buy, instead of trade.
craigslist.com - We all know it and love it: the "free" section under "for sale."

Beg, barter, or get creative. A look at living without (much) money.

2010-01-19T07:55:00.000-08:00

Over the last few years, I've become more and more interested in living a life that would allow me to barter or trade skills for items or services. Though I haven't done any heavy research on the subjects (yet), ideas such as alternative currencies, local barter banks and work trade have been rattling around in my mind. I got a taste of it last summer, while living and working at the ecohostel.

Heidemarie Schwermer has taken that principle of work trade and integrated it into the very fabric of her life. In the article, Living without money, we get a glimpse of someone who lives by the principles of "Gib und Nimm" (German for "give and take.") Heidemarie set up a Tauschring, a place giving the people in a local community the opportunity to trade goods and services amongst themselves. She lives a nomadic lifestyle, cleaning or house sitting in exchange for a place to stay, with only a couple of suitcases worth of material possessions. She hopes that her way of living will inspire people to reevaluate their relationship with money, and the consumerist society in which they participate.

While this article focused mainly on her attempts to reach the homeless of her community and didn't a debate on whether or not this is a sustainable lifestyle for a larger population, the comments below picked up a bit of the slack. Questions about what to trade if you have less concrete skills such as are prevalent in the corporate world, or how she could even support her lifestyle were it not for the people around her that earn money a more traditional way, are sprinkled in with comments expressing support and encouragement. A nice balance, I thought.

Is her nomadic lifestyle suitable for everyone? No, definitely not. But, it's not an unheard of choice, and used to be more prevalent than it is now. People have been travelling to sell and exchange skills or goods...well, probably since there were people. Is the idea of locally trading goods and services as an alternative to the currently encouraged money-based system a good idea? Sure. It encourages you to value the person you are trading with, as well as the service. Trading, rather than buying, creates a place to see the other as an equal, as a person with skills and goods just as valuable as those you are giving in return. And that is a beautiful way to build community.

Summer 2009 at the ETC

2010-01-16T21:34:00.000-08:00

Here's a pic and video slide show of my summer and autumn at The Farm last year. 2009 was filled with so many lovely memories, it was hard to choose which ones to include.

Rules of the game, and the reasons for it

2010-01-15T16:36:00.000-08:00

This summer will bring a big change in my living situation. I'll be moving from wealthy, suburban Texas to rural Tennessee. I'll be leaving the lifestyle of apartment living to submerge myself in one of the most well known intentional communities in the US. I'll go from fairly quiet social habits to sharing my days (and meals) with an ever changing group of friends and strangers. In short: I'm moving to The Farm.

Last year, I lived at The EcoVillage Training Center (ETC) during a two-month apprenticeship in natural building. I liked it so much, I found work and stuck around for a couple more. During that time, I lived fairly simply. I slept in a dorm, had only a suitcase sized selection of clothes to wear, and ate communal meals prepared from scratch. The days were filled with work, and the evenings with camp fires and drum circles. I made some amazing friends, and was invited to come back and be a part of it all again in 2010. It was a life changing summer.

When I returned to suburbia, I was determined to carry much of the ETC lifestyle over into apartment living. But, I found myself slipping right back into old habits. Processed food, shopping trips and adding miles to my car's speedometer crept back into my life, slowly but surely. So, when the ball dropped this year, I made a New Year's resolution: to live simply.

I'm heading back to the ETC this March to be the innkeeper at the EcoHostel. During that time I'm determined to drastically reduce my consumption. I want to not only honor the earth with what I choose to consume, but to also honor myself. We live in a society that tells us the way to be happy is to buy it. But, how true is that? From what I've read, it's all about meeting your needs and social ties. Once the basic needs are met, and there is a healthy social structure, then happiness levels don't rise much as wealth increases. (Check out the article Income and Happiness and the pdf Happiness and Growth the World Over: Time Series Evidence on the Happiness-Income Paradox for more on that.)

This summer I'm putting that to the test. Aside from my basic needs, I'm not going to purchase anything. Period. What are my basic needs? Food, shelter, clothing and healthy social interaction. Keeping those in mind, I've made a list of things I'm willing to purchase:

Food: Even though I'll be living on a piece of land with an organic garden, I don't see a way to provide for all of my food by growing it or bartering for it.
Shelter: A roof over my head comes with my job. But, I'll probably need to pay a residence fee to live in the community.
Sewing Supplies: I have all the clothes I really need. But, things get worn and torn. As clothes give out, I'll need to repair or replace them. I can't make sewing thread or needles, so I'm willing to spend money on them.
Shoes & Socks: I'll only buy them if the ones I have fall apart.
Communication: Internet and computer access comes with the job, so I won't need to pay to check my email. But, I'll want to communicate with friends and family over the phone occasionally. I thought about skype, but the ISP slaps us with 24 hours of no internet if we exceed the bandwidth limit. So, I'll probably buy a rechargeable phone card and load it up when I need to.
Gasoline: Though I cringe to add this to the list, it's a necessity. I'll be living in a rural area with no public transportation. If I want to leave the Farm (or even get to some places on it) it'll have to be in a car.

Having made a list of things I'm willing to buy, here's a list of things I usually buy that I'm giving up:

Books: I'm a regular at my local used book store here. As there's not a book store near the Farm, there won't be much of a temptation. Unless I make a trip to the neighboring town's coffee shop where they sell books, that is.
Entertainment: By-by netflix. I'm gonna miss you. sigh. The reason I'm including entertainment on this list is that I want to immerse myself in the home-made kind of entertainment. Camp fires, potlucks, drum circles, live music, dance parties. Entertainment as creative friendship-forming times should be the norm. Having said that, I am so bringing a movie and music collection with me. Music to cook to, and movies for movie night.
Clothes & Fabric: Normally, I tend to buy clothes to either replace worn ones, or for a specific occasion (like a wedding.) This summer I really want to see if I can get away with not buying any at all. Clothes swaps are ok, and so is the occasional bout of DIY upcycle sewing. But, no cash shall change hands for clothes or fabric. I even found a pattern to make undies out of an old t-shirt. Check it out.
Jewelry: Again, something I buy only occasionally. But, buy it I do when I've got a bit of extra dough and the mood strikes. This summer I'm going to make my own out of found objects if I feel the need for new baubles.
Yarn: This is a sticky one. I love to knit. I currently work in a yarn shop and even knit for hire. But, if I want to knit I'll need to beg for yarn (you would be surprised by how many people have ten-year-old, never-gonna-use-it-yarn lurking in their closet), or make my own out of fabric or scrap clothes. This is going to be a big challenge for me, and I think push myself to find new ways to be creative.

Ok, so there it is. Wish me luck!