Oh boy. What have I done?

Well, I've gone and done it.

I've joined in Crunchy Chicken's latest challenge: Buy Nothing in April. I've wondered before about how many Buy Nothing Day[s] I could string together, but now I've committed to a whole month of buying nothing other than necessities. Well, almost nothing. Crunchy has kindly allowed me one possible exception (and it's a big one), because it was pre-planned. Barely.

We have been putting off getting a new TV because there just wasn't anything wrong with it. It is just small-ish (27") and old-ish (~10 years). We also try not to watch that much TV - I just can't stand the commercials anymore, and a lot of the shows are just plain crappy. And last year we even disconnected the cable/satellite for the Summer, which was very nice, not to mention saving us over $200 in satellite bills.

But last month (or was it the month before?), the speakers on the TV would only work intermittently. And now they barely work at all. And the NHL playoffs are coming. And the Edmonton Oilers just might make it into the playoffs this year. So last night, Gord and I were talking and we decided that if the Oilers made it into the playoffs, we would go ahead and get a new TV. Then this morning I see this new challenge of Crunchy's! She had given virtually no warning so that people couldn't pre-buy stuff. She is so very crafty and wise, that Crunchy.

I whined a little about this. I asked Crunchy for a special Canadian Hockey Fan exemption. And, a few other people over on her site had also commented about things they had planned to buy in April, and wondered if they could still join the overall challenge. I left it up to Crunchy to decide, and she did. She's letting me (and the others) participate, even if the Oilers do make the playoffs and we do buy a TV, because we had pre-planned the purchase. But, she has now listed me on her participant list as "Theresa at Pondering a New TV. I guess that's only fair!

Now I'm not sure if I want the Oilers to make the playoffs or not!

On another Crunchy-related note, and with somewhat ironic timing, I received in the mail today the book I won in Crunchy's anniversary draw, Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle. I can't wait to delve into this book! And when I'm done, as promised, I will hold a random draw of my own to send this book out into the blogosphere once more. I figure it will take me about a week or two to read this book, so sometime in mid-April I will hold the draw. OK....time to make a cup of tea and start reading!

Hooray for the CSA! - Part II

A few weeks ago I wrote with some excitement about having connected with a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm.

Yesterday Gord and I had the distinct pleasure of visiting Sparrow's Nest Organic Farm from whom we have purchased a share in this year's harvest. We met the owners and stewards of Sparrow's Nest Organics, Graham and Allison, whose enthusiasm and dedication to living a sustainable, earth-friendly lifestyle was evident right away!

We were welcomed warmly and invited to look around the 70 acre farm, eventually joining Allison and Graham back at the greenhouses. As you can see from the picture, it's still very early Spring here in northern-ish Alberta, but in about six more weeks the huge drip-irrigated fields you see behind the tractor will be seeded with all sorts of delicious vegetables!

We are one of about 40 shareholders in this year's harvest -- ours is a 'working share' where we are are welcome to work two 8-hour days on the farm in exchange for a partial refund of the share price. We plan on meeting, if not exceeding, this commitment and we will undoutedly learn so many things about gardening in a way that enriches the soil rather than depleting it. I'm confident we will be enriched by the experience as well!

Back at the greenhouses we were greeted by the happy sight of onion and leek seedlings poking out of an array of seed trays. One of the regular shareholders and friends of the farm was already there, carefully weeding the seed trays in the balmy environs of the first greenhouse. It was a treat to inhale the fecund aroma, and warm up a little on the chilly Spring day. My camera fogged up, but I managed to get one fuzzy picture of the little seedlings before my camera battery gave out. If you look closely, you can see the green haze of the seedlings poking out of the soil.

In the second greenhouse, Allison was transplanting heirloom tomato seedlings and Graham was installing an energy-efficient furnace. We spent an enjoyable and informative half hour asking questions and talking about things like the joys of eating locally, future plans for the farm, and the challenges of living sustainably, especially in a province where the top priorities are oil and cattle. As our conversation drew to a close, I noticed some flags fluttering outside the greenhouse, and Graham confirmed these were indeed Tibetan prayer flags, placed there last summer by another friend of the farm.

There is no more hopeful sight than a seedling poking up through the soil, toward the sun. We left Sparrow's Nest Farm feeling similarly hopeful and inspired, knowing that people, like seeds, also break out of their shell, look upwards and outwards, and face the world with awe, humility, optimism and determination to grow wherever they are planted.

Earth Hour Tomorrow!

Just a reminder that Earth Hour is tomorrow, from 8 to 9 pm your local time. I found out yesterday that my home town of Fort Saskachewan will be participating, which is very neat!

Not everyone agrees* that gestures like these make any real difference, or cause any long term habit changes, but I'm going to be radically optimistic and say that it sure can't hurt, and that you never know what small action will be the catalyst for bigger action!

*See comments

Thrift Store Bounty!

Our trip to the thrift store yesterday was very successful. I found the dark enameled roasting pan I was looking for to use in the solar oven I will be making (one of these days, with the help of the Solar Power for Dummies book Gord bought for me a couple weeks ago).

I also found a lovely ginger jar for only 4 dollars and some spice storage jars for a dollar each. We also got a set of three cordless phones for 20 dollars, which are a nice upgrade to the cordless phone we have now. And Gord got a soap dish, toothbrush holder and tumbler that he really liked - 6 bucks for the set. (I have the same set in red, which I know cost 30 dollars when I bought it new about 8-10 years ago!).

Gord got a book on world music, and also some vintage records (Bruce Cockburn, Maria Muldaur) which we are listening to right now, and I picked up a couple canning jars too. There were dozens of canning jars, in all sorts of sizes and some with lids, so I now know where to pick these up for the bargain price of 50 cents each! All in all, it was a very successful and satisfying foray into the world of thrift and frugality.

Tomorrow is our trip to Sparrow Organics CSA Farm, so I will bring my camera along and report back about that in the next couple of days! And I may have a thing or two to say after going to a Chuck Brodsky concert this weekend too! Did I mention how much I am enjoying my week off work?

The Spaces In Between II

Last Summer I wrote a post about the importance of creating space in our lives, and how slowing down can really enhance one's appreciation for every day activities, like having tea or washing dishes. I'm in the fortunate position of having this week off of work, and so I've really been able to slow down and enjoy the spaces in my life.

As you can see in the picture, the fact that there is still a couple feet of snow on the ground didn't stop me from taking my book and a cup of tea out to the front porch today. The sun was warm, and in my flannel PJs and fuzzy slippers I spent a nice half hour outside, reading, sipping tea, listening to the birds and breathing in the crisp air of early Spring.

After coming back in, I did a little paperwork, made a phone call to the CSA Farm to set up a time to visit them later this week, de-cluttered and dusted my office, watched our two guinea pigs' antics for a while, listened to some music, made supper and finally whipped up some of Chile's famous hot cocoa just before sitting down to blog.

All of these leisurely activities really bring home the many things I have to be grateful for, such as: a job with good benefits, a cozy home, farmers to grow food, the simple aesthetic of having just a few things on a shelf, the unconditional affection of companion animals, the warmth of the sun, the good taste of simple food, and the time to appreciate all of these.

In taking the time to be grateful, I realize how much of a luxury these spaces in between really are. My mind leaps ahead to imagining what could happen if more of us in the Western world saw affluence in these terms - saw it in the spaces in between things, instead of in the things themselves. If we valued the time, the space, more than the stuff, maybe this would balance out better for those in other parts of the world who need a little more stuff, like food, clean water, clothes, medicine and mosquito nets. The balancing out would occur because people who feel gratitude for what they have would be more likely to feel compassion for others. Then, in my imagination at least, they would act accordingly through, for example, charitable giving, volunteering, activism, community-building, or just being neighborly.

A fast pace of life seems to leave room only for consumption and convenience, with little space or time for gratitude or compassion. A slower pace lets us be thankful, appreciative, and giving.

Either that or I'm just rationalizing my half-hour tea time on the porch.

Thrift Store Goodness

It wasn't that long ago that I cringed at bit at the prospect of going into a thrift or second-hand store, let alone actually buying anything from a place 'like that.' I even found second-hand bookstores to be somewhat yucky and distasteful, with that funny dusty-musty smell and all those pre-read books in there.

And, to be totally honest, I was a bit judgmental of the people who shopped in such places. But Gord had no such hang-ups or judgments and I would tag along with him, somewhat unenthusiastically, when he would go into Value Village or other no-name thrift stores or book stores, all the while thinking, "ew" and, "when can we leave?"

Well, all that has changed. It was the bookstores that first got me to come around. Given the amount of books I read, half-price books were very attractive. And once I got over the idea that second-hand was somehow second-class, I started going to more second hand book stores, and I found that they didn't all have that smell, and even if they did, well, so what? Maybe what I considered smelly was just the lack of off-gassing plastic wrappers and the absence of chemical air fresheners.

And once I got over that, it was just a small change in perspective to see all the other thrift store goodness. I had been wanting to stop using my non-stick frying pans for a while, but cast-iron pans are expensive -- except at the thrift store. Gord snagged me this lovely 10 inch cast iron pan at Value Village for 10 bucks! While he was calling me on the phone to see if I wanted it, he said that two other people eyed it and put it back down, luckily for me! After a quick scrub with baking soda, and a little re-seasoning with canola oil, this pan is a non-stick wonder! And no carcinogenic chemicals to worry about.

I had asked Gord to keep an eye out for a baking rack, and lo and behold the next time he was at Value Village he found the one in the picture, for just $1.99! It is a sturdy, well-made rack without a scratch or stain in sight. A little vinegar to clean it off, and it will outlast me, I'm sure. (Oh, and the bread? That's just for decoration, of course.)

I'm now on the lookout for more things from the thrift store, like cutlery (especially butter knives), book shelves, glass storage and canning jars, and a dark enamel roasting pan (to be used in the solar oven I plan to build/make, hopefully to make some of that delicious bread, with free energy!). Why buy these things new when they are perfectly good second hand? I save money, create less waste, and the Earth's resources are not depleted further on my behalf. That is a win-win-win situation if I've ever seen one.

What have been your best thrift-store finds?

Mesh produce bags well received....so far

I was pleasantly surprised when I went to the grocery store today. First, the cashier and the guy doing the bagging both said they liked it when people used canvas bags for their groceries. Then, when the first of my net produce bags came up the conveyor belt, the cashier exclaimed that they were "neat" and the bagging guy said, "and you can wash them and use them over and over again!" I was just beaming at this point, and said that yes, I had felt strange putting plastic produce bags into my canvas grocery bags and that I had decided to "turn my eco-nerdity up a notch." The cashier giggled at this, and we all had a cheerful grocery-related interaction.

This was a happy turn of events, because earlier in the day I had had an eco-freak out when I saw all the cigarette butts and other garbage outside the restaurant where I had brunch with my parents. It's an unfortunate sign of Spring around here: all the Winter garbage is revealed from underneath the melting snow. I will never understand why people think the Earth is their garbage can. It infuriates me to no end. Gah!