It's a good job we're not digging for victory

Well it's a blooming good job we are not digging for victory is all I can say! If we were we would starve!

Of everything we planted not much has survived the amounts of rain we have had or the amount of sluggy visitors we have had in the garden too. Normally we grow a mass of courgettes as we love them, last week we had one and then it got eaten by a slug. Even the rhubarb that was doing well, yesterday got eaten by a rabbit who had managed to sneak her way in past the defences! The only thing that is doing well this year is the apple tree but I won't say too much about that as I don't want to jinx it!

I want a small holding!

Last Sunday we went to Holt Hall in Norfolk to the Smallholders event run by the Norfolk Smallholders Training Group.

We were blessed with a warm sunny day which was quite surprising considering the wet weather we have been having lately. I really wanted to go but I was a bit apprehensive as I thought that it would be full of real country types who would frown on us turning up in anything other than a beaten up 4x4. I didn't know whether to wear my wellies or not as the are flowery! It really was nothing like that. The people at the gate were really friendly and nice and it was really cheap to get in too - only £5 which I think is good as I have paid in the past £15 to go to a Country show. There were very few wellies in sight, mainly trainers which in hindsight was a little of a mistake as the ground was a bit muddy in places!

The show wasn't entirely what I thought it was going to be. I thought it would be more of a show aimed at people who have or want a small holding so I thought there would be tools and equipment and advice etc. There was this to a certain extent but not as much as I thought it was going to be. The show was more aimed at people who already have small holdings or cottage industries selling their wares, which was equally lovely. It was in essence a large farmers market which was OK by me as we bought some lovely breads and veggies.

I loved looking around all the animals. I soooo want an Alpacca and a goat! It was a great show and I am glad we went. It was really inspirational seeing all the providers and what the have produced. It certainly gave us a lot to think about so we had to go for a lie down on the beach after!

Materialism vs Spiritualism

We recently had a mini break in Glastonbury. I love Glastonbury so much for the chilled out vibe, the scenery, abundance of vegetarian food.. need I go on!

Following on from my last post the time in which we went was during my really busy work period where I had more money than sense and it was burning a hole in my pocket!

If you have ever been to Glastonbury, you will know that the streets are lined with shops many of which are new age, hippy shops (I never know what the right term is!) and in those shops are trinkets and statues and bits and bobs that cater for pretty much every religion and practice known to man. Now if I had to define my religion I would say that I am Christian as I do go to Church (not very often I have to admit, a couple of times a year), I do believe in God and I do pray. However, I also believe in other religions. I believe that there are elements of other religions that are important too. I am very into Buddhism and Hinduism too, although I am not practicing in these areas, I do find them fascinating and live by some of the principles. I find religions interesting and inspiring. So these shops are fascinating to me. I have a few Buddha statues in my house already but I was looking at more in the shops.

Jon came out with a little nugget. I am not sure if this is because he was trying to stop me from buying more "tat" to fill up the house or whether he had an epiphany. I can't quote it exactly as I can't remember it now however it goes along the lines of...

"why do you need to spend your money on statues of deities in order to believe or confirm your beliefs. Surely being religious is more about spiritual beliefs and it shouldn't matter how many statues you have in your house. At the end of the day it is just 'stuff'. Having 'stuff' isn't going to make your life better or enrich it. Isn't it better to give that money to the church or a charity than to buy 'stuff'. Isn't that materialism rather than spiritualism?".

That kind of struck a chord with me. Needless to say I didn't buy any ornaments. Instead I bought a couple of books which had enriched my life. Jon can be quite enlightened although part of me wonders if he was just being tight lol! Either way it is kinda eco. We don't need stuff!

Being eco is not for the busy!

I am sure that being eco is for people with lots of time! I hate to say it but for me it is kinda true. Life got really manic at one point and work was busy busy busy. It was at this time that I found that I was just getting through. It was quicker and easier to go to the supermarket for the household shopping. Can you believe it! As sad as it is it really is true. I simply didn't have the time or the inclination after a hard days work to then spend the time going round lots of little independent shops. As for the garden, well I pretty much gave up and am sorry to say that all the salad has gone to seed.

That is just how it is. I can't say that I am happy about it or enjoyed it per se but equally I think it was kind of important to be this way to appreciate how hard it is for working families. The convenience and time saving just simply takes precedent.

I even found that cooking went out the window. We went out to eat or got take aways. We were actually spending the money we were making at work on feeding our selves because we didn't have time to make healthy cheap food. It is insane when you look at it like that. We were basically working to buy the things that we couldn't do because we were at work.

And you know what, the more money I made the more I spent. The more I wanted to spend too. When I don't have so much it is not a case of can't spend it is a case of not really being bothered as I get my feel good factor from the cooking, gardening and craft activities.

It really is all very nuts!

A different approach to Fathers Day

I am very mindful at the moment of the importance of shopping locally, supporting independent traders, buying something unique, something that is not mass produced and that everyone has (this really hit home to me when I was shopping in Italy at a well known home furnishing store, that they had exactly the same products as back home in Blighty. Homes all over Europe could be furnished with exactly the same stuff, aghhhh!). It was with this in mind and with Father’s Day fast approaching that I started to rack the brain as to what to get for our Dad’s. Now the Mum’s are fairly easy to buy for but the Dad’s...not so much! In their 60s, not wanting just “stuff”, having most things they need and want it starts to rule out quite a lot of options.

OK so the list so far to cover for Father’s Day present:

·         Not mass produced

·         Handmade where possible

·         Unique

·         Locally sourced

·         Not just “stuff”

·         Something useful and not just clutter

What to get? Where to go?

Of course Crafty Monkey in St Neots covers all of these points and what’s more, it is an activity for me to do so not only is it a present for Dad but also a lovely leisure activity for me to enjoy knowing that I have created something with love to pass on.

I decided to paint a mug. He loves tea and of course uses mugs. He loves his Morgan cars so I thought what a nice gift a personalised hand painted mug would be, with the all important Morgan logo design on the front and a bit of text so everyone else in the household knows whose cup this is so hands off!

So I started with my white mug. No scratch that, I in fact started by searching the internet for the Morgan logo, downloaded it and printed it out to the size that I wanted. I then took my mug, and laid carbon paper over the top and traced my design onto the mug. I’m sorry, I had to do this, there was no way that I could paint it free hand. It may be seen by some as cheating but not to me. I knew it would look better that way.

Once the design was on, I then began to paint. Blimey it was intricate. Of course you need three coats of the paint so it will be really bold and some where around coat two I wondered why on Earth I had chosen such an intricate design and I am sure I, at times, forgot where I was at! I painted the mug at the Thursday night adults session which was really nice and relaxing so intricacy and fine lines were not a problem.

After I painted the design, I used the end of a rounded brush, dipped in paint to create nice dots all over the mug. I just thought this finished it off a bit nicer than leaving it plain white. I also used the black writer pen to write “Dad’s Mug” on the side.

I can’t wait to see the glazed result.

I really enjoyed painting the mug and I know he will like it, not just for what it is but for the appreciation of the time and thoughtfulness that went into its creation. It is not just another mug bought from a supermarket and I am sure the tea will taste all the much nicer for it.

Building An Off The Grid Home

I came across this video on You Tube and I just wanted to share it with you. It is interesting and easy viewing. The only thing I would say is that I found it strange that they weren't building more "eco" instead they were using "normal" materials and also they hadn't put anything in place for food. It was literally just water, electricity and the loo yet with the land that they bought they could have done oh so much more IMO!

Just press play!!

Book Review: Eco Fitness

Now this book I believe is only available on Kindle. In true eco style they have saved on paper and ink! I literally had just been given a kindle for my birthday and I was flicking through a copy of my Mum's Vegetarian magazine when I came accross an advert for this book. I bought it because at the time it was only 99p and I wanted books for the kindle. It was the best 99p I think I have spent in a long time.

OK so the information in the book might not be anything new or that you haven't heard before. Afterall we all know that we are *supposed* to be more active and take more exercise. We know that already and the book does confirm and reitterate what we already know.

However what the book also does is give you a bit of encouragement and motivation for doing more exercise or should I say, increasing the movement in our everyday lives which in turn equates to exercise. Exercise with a difference though, exercise which has a positive effect on you and not a negative effect on the environment. Eco fitness but also I would say frugal fitness. Whilst reading this book I realised that I am actually quite a lazy toad and lead quite a sedatory lifestyle. This book made me think about ways in which I could increase activity into my daily life. Simple things which I didn't even think about actually are exercise and we don't have to spend pounds and pounds at the gym we just need to increase the little things that we do at home.

 

The writer of the book also has a blog about all things eco so you should check that out too as there is some really useful information: http://theeco-fitnessbook.blogspot.co.uk/

So what are you waiting for? Get moving that body!