Although, for many people, Christmas is a joyous time, others are glad it is over. Christmas seems to have become the biggest occasion for ridiculous over-consumption since Thanksgiving. But I’m not talking about food… I’m talking about “stuff.” Lots and lots of useless, over-priced stuff that none of us need. Marketers have simply trained us…
I know you hate it when I go for too long without making a blog entry, but I’ve been busy living! That’s right – I’ve been busy growing my garden, hanging my clothes to dry, eating vegetables and riding my electric bicycle. It’s a tough job living in my green paradise – oh wait, no…
I decided that today was the day I would clean out the toxic chemicals under my sink. One of the things that prompted me was this article on Grist.org. Breast cancer is the leading cause of death of middle-aged American women, and I already know quite a few near my age who have it or…
Now that I have taken my new, super cool electric bicycle on a few errands, I can see the differences between riding the electric bike vs electric scooter. I have to say that I’m really loving the electric bicycle, and one of the reasons is that I feel safer. For one, maneuvering a 100 lb…
If you follow me on Facebook, you may know that I recently sold my electric scooter. There were many reasons for doing this – mostly because when something went wrong with it, it was like a 300 pound paperweight. I just didn’t have the resources to be able to maintain it with my lifestyle. My…
So, you may have noticed that I know nothing about making video look good! It is a technical skill-set that I have definitely not mastered! For now, I will do a bit of writing and perhaps pick back up the videos when I can make them a bit more polished. I enjoy the process of…
There is a weird phenomenon on Facebook. It is called “Facebook Expectations.” It is that idea that if you are someone’s Facebook friend, you will re-post and attend every event they throw, recommend every product or service they supply, and support their business to the best of your ability. The problem? I have almost 1200…
So, in my eternal quest for perfect transportation, I considered… gas-powered transportation. But not the big guzzling type… the tiny, efficient type. I found this gas-powered bicycle on Craigslist.com and took my “normal” bicycle on a ride to see it. It was a long ride on a hot afternoon, but I made it! The bike was…
Earlier this year, I had the brilliant idea of putting hoops over my garden. I cleverly did this using some PVC plumbing pipes. They came in 10 foot lengths, and I used brackets to hook them to my garden at 2-foot intervals. I was then lucky enough to find that Gardener’s Supply sells big sheets…
I am having “one of those weeks.” I am recovering from a cold and still have lots of “stuff” going on in my ears. I’m menstruating even though I just did so a few weeks ago. I suddenly own a cat again. My scooter tire is flat. And my father may not be with us…
I think a true feminist probably does not refer to herself as a feminist. I think she just “is” one. I remember meeting a young college-girl in a London hostel back in 2002. The sure sign of a “feminist” is her enrollment in “Women’s Studies” courses at college. I’m not sure exactly what you do…
In examining my world and how healthy and sustainable it is, I am focusing on pre-packaged things that I can make myself. This would serve several purposes. First, it would be cheaper. Second, it would be healthier. And third, that item may not always be available.
I am feeling rather dejected about the state of the world this morning. I should wait and read my Grist.com emails later in the day. Seriously, though, things are going to hell fast, and we are doing nothing about it. Well, I should say many people… and many important people… are doing nothing about it. …
Why am I so angry sometimes? Because you’re not. The sooner you get that way, the better off we’ll all be. Do you know why you’re so apathetic? Because your life is too easy. You don’t have to do physical labor for what you earn. Oil energy takes the place of the sweat energy folks…
When was the last time you took a walk? Probably not recently. Walking requires us to slow down, something we are often unwilling to do. We think that during that 30 minutes, something crucial will happen on Facebook. But walking gives you a perspective on life that you just do not get any other way. …