I've decided to start some monthly challenges. Anyone who reads this blog can take part in them if you are interested. It takes about 3 weeks to change a habit, and by changing some of our habits, we can collectively have a big impact on our environment (and our dependency on utilities).
August's challenge will be to conserve water.
Here are some ways to do that:
1. Don't run water while brushing your teeth. Use a cup to rinse instead of running the faucet into your hand.
2. Put a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap to make it cold.
3. Brush teeth/wash face over a bucket in the tub, and then re-use that water in the plants.
4. Take short showers, use a low flow shower head.
5. Take less showers during the week and substitue bird baths, using the same bucket in the tub.
6. Do laundry by hand or with a Wonder Washer/Wonder Clean. Then re-use the water in your plants.
7. Check your toilet and faucets for leaks. You can check your toilet by putting food coloring in the tank and check to see if there is any coloring in the bowl (without flushing).
8. Cut back on flushing the toilet. Don't flush after every use, allow the yellow to mellow!!
9. Use cloth wipes so that toilet paper doesn't build up in the bowl requiring extra unnecessary flushes.
10. Put a bottle of water or sand in the tank to cut back on the amount of water that fills the tank, and thus the amount that is used in a flush.
11. Put buckets out to collect rainwater. You can also put buckets under the back of air conditioners to collect the water that drips out the bottom of the a/c. Use the water collected to irrigate your garden.
Friday, July 25, 2008
An Average Day here at the Homestead
Today was a pretty productive day, so I thought I'd post a little bit about it.
In our house, we stay up late and sleep late, so my day might look a bit different than most.
I got up late today, and watched some tv. There was a movie I wanted to finish watching. I was up till 4am watching the second part, and wanted to see the third part.
After the movie, I went to the Country Store and bought my blueberries. They also had bing cherries for a cheaper price than most, so I bought a quart or so of those. I'm going to save the seeds and figure out how to grow a tree from them so we can have sweet cherry trees in the next few years.
On the way home, I stopped at the Stop and Go and got my oil changed in the car. That was overdue, so it was good I got it done today. And then I went to the grocery store to pick up more "vaccuum seal" bags and go to the bank. The vac seal bags are twice as expensive as the regular freezer bags, but its a one time investment, since I will re-use them every year.
Then I got home, bagged up 60lbs of blueberries for a total of probably 50qts. I put 47qts aside for the freezer and the rest in the fridge for our enjoyment. After that, I asked my son to wash the dishes, since i'm pretty busy with other household stuff. I went out and took down all the cloth wipes off the line and put them back in the bathroom.
I carried all the food scraps out to the compost bin. We've had quite a load of organic scraps: Corn cobs, corn husks, watermelon rinds, pepper stems, zuchini ends, squash ends, and who knows what else! So in it all went. And since we had such a large amount of organic scraps, I used some tree coverage that dh cut down to cover it all up. They aren't leafy trees, but I can't think of the name of them.
I grabbed a small basket of laundry from our bedroom and took it outside to the "laundry site" (the picnic table). It took two loads in the Wonder Clean to do it all, but that was because there were 2 towels in there. After the first load, I dumped the soapy water into a bucket and then re-used that soapy water for the next load. I did the same with the rinse water. That way I don't waste much water. Its kind of hard to drain the Wonder Clean into a bucket though so some of it did end up wasted. Its a little messy, so when I get around to doing it in the house, it will probably have to be in the bathtub. If I get another Wonder Washer, I'll get the kind that drains from the bottom to avoid the mess. Maybe I can find a way to drill a hole into the bottom of it and attatch a hose.
Then I wrung out all the laundry and hung it up. It was 7pm when I hung it out, so it won't be dry tonight. But we're not expecting any rain tonight so I'll just leave it out till tomorrow and take it down after it dries tomorrow. Even if it does rain tonight, a little rainwater won't hurt. It will just take longer to dry tomorrow.
I'm pretty tired now. I still have to carry the blueberries down to the freezer yet. And the house needs straightened up and vaccuumed/dusted. Having a little one here reminds me of how messy the house gets!! Little Boo Boo is 15 months old and likes to toddle around getting into everything. But she's a good little baby. We love having her here, even if she is a handful!! We've discovered she *does* like blueberries though!!
Well, I must get back to work. But this looks like it could be a typical day...especially in the next few weeks. I have to can green beans, and my husband tells me the tomatoes are getting ripe. And tomatoes like to get ripe all at once, so I'll probably be busy all of next week and the week after canning tomatoes and tomato based sauces, maybe even some soups!! Since I have a pressure canner, I can make vegetable soups, minestrone, and salsa!!
As soon as tomato season ends, then it will be time for peaches and pears...and then apples. PHEW! i'm going to be busy. I guess next time I plan a vacation it will have to be planned NOT in July or August!! I don't even know if September will work!!
But I love the beach in September, especially camping. And since my husband and I are married 20 years this past Spring, I'd really like to take a weekend and go somewhere, like Gettysburg, and stay at a Bed and Breakfast.
In our house, we stay up late and sleep late, so my day might look a bit different than most.
I got up late today, and watched some tv. There was a movie I wanted to finish watching. I was up till 4am watching the second part, and wanted to see the third part.
After the movie, I went to the Country Store and bought my blueberries. They also had bing cherries for a cheaper price than most, so I bought a quart or so of those. I'm going to save the seeds and figure out how to grow a tree from them so we can have sweet cherry trees in the next few years.
On the way home, I stopped at the Stop and Go and got my oil changed in the car. That was overdue, so it was good I got it done today. And then I went to the grocery store to pick up more "vaccuum seal" bags and go to the bank. The vac seal bags are twice as expensive as the regular freezer bags, but its a one time investment, since I will re-use them every year.
Then I got home, bagged up 60lbs of blueberries for a total of probably 50qts. I put 47qts aside for the freezer and the rest in the fridge for our enjoyment. After that, I asked my son to wash the dishes, since i'm pretty busy with other household stuff. I went out and took down all the cloth wipes off the line and put them back in the bathroom.
I carried all the food scraps out to the compost bin. We've had quite a load of organic scraps: Corn cobs, corn husks, watermelon rinds, pepper stems, zuchini ends, squash ends, and who knows what else! So in it all went. And since we had such a large amount of organic scraps, I used some tree coverage that dh cut down to cover it all up. They aren't leafy trees, but I can't think of the name of them.
I grabbed a small basket of laundry from our bedroom and took it outside to the "laundry site" (the picnic table). It took two loads in the Wonder Clean to do it all, but that was because there were 2 towels in there. After the first load, I dumped the soapy water into a bucket and then re-used that soapy water for the next load. I did the same with the rinse water. That way I don't waste much water. Its kind of hard to drain the Wonder Clean into a bucket though so some of it did end up wasted. Its a little messy, so when I get around to doing it in the house, it will probably have to be in the bathtub. If I get another Wonder Washer, I'll get the kind that drains from the bottom to avoid the mess. Maybe I can find a way to drill a hole into the bottom of it and attatch a hose.
Then I wrung out all the laundry and hung it up. It was 7pm when I hung it out, so it won't be dry tonight. But we're not expecting any rain tonight so I'll just leave it out till tomorrow and take it down after it dries tomorrow. Even if it does rain tonight, a little rainwater won't hurt. It will just take longer to dry tomorrow.
I'm pretty tired now. I still have to carry the blueberries down to the freezer yet. And the house needs straightened up and vaccuumed/dusted. Having a little one here reminds me of how messy the house gets!! Little Boo Boo is 15 months old and likes to toddle around getting into everything. But she's a good little baby. We love having her here, even if she is a handful!! We've discovered she *does* like blueberries though!!
Well, I must get back to work. But this looks like it could be a typical day...especially in the next few weeks. I have to can green beans, and my husband tells me the tomatoes are getting ripe. And tomatoes like to get ripe all at once, so I'll probably be busy all of next week and the week after canning tomatoes and tomato based sauces, maybe even some soups!! Since I have a pressure canner, I can make vegetable soups, minestrone, and salsa!!
As soon as tomato season ends, then it will be time for peaches and pears...and then apples. PHEW! i'm going to be busy. I guess next time I plan a vacation it will have to be planned NOT in July or August!! I don't even know if September will work!!
But I love the beach in September, especially camping. And since my husband and I are married 20 years this past Spring, I'd really like to take a weekend and go somewhere, like Gettysburg, and stay at a Bed and Breakfast.
60Lbs of Blueberries, in the Freezer!
Well, after yesterday's fiasco, I took advantage of the Country Store and bought 60lbs of blueberries. No, they aren't local, but they are GOOD, and PLUMP, and TASTY!!
And hey, they're blueberries, right? So now I have a whole year's worth of blueberries frozen.
At least I *hope* they last a whole year!! I'm fairly sure they will. But since this is the first year we are trying to both garden and preserve food, I'm keeping track of how much I put away so that next year I have a better idea of how much we need and how much to grow or buy.
We definitely need more blueberry bushes. Blueberries are just not the kind of berries that you can go out and count on a bunch being ready all at once. They ripen a bit at a time, so the only practical way to keep track of their progress and make the most of locally grown berries, is to grow them yourself.
Once we get this place set up for micro-farming, then it will just be a matter of expanding on what we are already doing. So, my hope is that within 5 years we'll know exactly how much we need of what, and we'll know when and how much to plant to get what we need.
That will mean we won't be relying on the grocery store anymore, except for staples like flour and sugar, etc.
Here's looking forward to that!
And hey, they're blueberries, right? So now I have a whole year's worth of blueberries frozen.
At least I *hope* they last a whole year!! I'm fairly sure they will. But since this is the first year we are trying to both garden and preserve food, I'm keeping track of how much I put away so that next year I have a better idea of how much we need and how much to grow or buy.
We definitely need more blueberry bushes. Blueberries are just not the kind of berries that you can go out and count on a bunch being ready all at once. They ripen a bit at a time, so the only practical way to keep track of their progress and make the most of locally grown berries, is to grow them yourself.
Once we get this place set up for micro-farming, then it will just be a matter of expanding on what we are already doing. So, my hope is that within 5 years we'll know exactly how much we need of what, and we'll know when and how much to plant to get what we need.
That will mean we won't be relying on the grocery store anymore, except for staples like flour and sugar, etc.
Here's looking forward to that!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
What a WASTE of a Day!!
I started my day by finding my Wonder Clean had arrived!! There it was on the porch. But I decided I wanted to read my email first. While I was reading my email, my son brought in the Wonder Clean and asked what on earth I had ordered THIS time! LOL.
I was running out of "cloth toilet paper" so I decided I'd use the Wonder Clean to wash them. And so I did. I must say, it worked very well, considering I didn't even use hot water. The science behind the Wonder Clean (or Wonder Washer) is that heat creates pressure inside the cannister, and forces the soap in and through the clothes. It works much like a pressure canner. Since I don't want to use hot water (until I have my solar water heater set up), I use cold, and crank it around a few extra times to mimic the agitation of a regular machine. It still got things nice and clean, so I can't complain. And I wasn't soaked to the bone when I was finished either!
Now all I have to do is set up a laundry area that makes it easy to run through a load quickly and easily. For now, that will be outside at the picnic table, so I can mount the wringer on the picnic table for use. In the winter, I'll have to either make a stand or buy the dynajet stand to mount the wringer on. Then I'll be able to do my laundry quickly and easily right in the kitchen.
But that wasn't the wasted part of the day.
Today the weather was BEAUTIFUL. I decided today would be THE day to go blueberry picking. I had done all my price research, and looked around at the "pick your own" farms. I even called a more local farm to find out if they had blueberries, and they do....but not enough for what I need. However, the owner did mention that I should check with The Country Store to see how much theirs were. That should have been my first clue. But I had already done a lot of pricing and figured that with the price hikes of this year, The Country Store would probably still be more expensive than a "pyo" farm.
There is only one "Pick your own" farm that grows blueberries. Its all the way in York. Since I was hoping to get a total of about 50lbs of blueberries, I figured the gas would be worth it. If I picked 60lbs of blueberries and spent $10 on gas, that would be $1.60/lb.
Now I know those who are experienced at this are probably already laughing.
I drove all the way over there and discovered it took 15 minutes less time than mapquest said it did. So far so good. And I had no trouble finding the place. Again, so far so good. Its an honor system of payment, which appealed to me, and they provided the buckets to pick with...even lined them with bags. GREAT! I grabbed 5 buckets in hopes that I could fill them all, or at least 2 or 3 of them anyway.
So I get out to this nice big blueberry field and discover that although there are TONS of blueberries, most of them are not ripe yet. And the ones that WERE ripe, are already picked (as evidenced by the stems hanging with no berries). So much for that. Not only that, but it took me an hour to pick just TWO pounds of blueberries. And I tasted a couple of them only to find that although they were blue, they were not really as ripe (sweet) as I wanted them to be. UGH.
Apparently when I first started picking I must have hit upon a good patch because when I was done with that patch and moved on, it was obvious from the stems hanging there that someone else had beat me to the majority of the other berries. As I wondered around the field, it didn't seem as big anymore.
Don't get me wrong. This blueberry farm is wonderful. Although I missed it, apparently there were two baby fawns in the field right near me. (One of the other pickers told me later). What an incredible place. While I was picking I could hear.....quiet. Birds singing, grasshoppers flying, and children running through the blueberry field with their moms. It really is a beautiful place. And if I lived closer, I'd be there every week (if not every day) to check on the progress of the berries and pick some, or maybe just to sit in the shade and relax. But not when its a half hour's drive or more away and gas costs $4/gallon.
I decided to cut my losses and take the two pounds I had in hand, and go home. On my way home I discovered a connection to Rt. 83 that was easier to use than the one I had used on the way there. And I was happily on my way. Except I got OFF at the wrong "Market St" exit and ended up lost in downtown York. Anyone who knows me knows I can't navigate worth crap. My oldest daughter has always been my copilot for that reason. But not today.
In any case, I finally made it out of York and was on my way home, thinking about The Country Store, and remembering that I had bought a case of blueberries there before a few years ago, and that they *were* priced very reasonably. I decided to stop at that roadside stand again to see if they had green beans in yet. They did, at $30/bushel, but since I hadn't picked my own from my garden yet, I wasn't ready to buy just yet.
Anyway, we got to talking about blueberries, and the woman at the roadside stand said I should check out....you guessed it....The Country Store. By now its almost 5:30pm and the whole way home I was thinking I should call them, but I figured they were closed by now. Not so. The woman at the roadside stand calls The Country Store for me and proceeds to find out that they are selling their blueberries in 20lb boxes for *$32*. Guess how much that works out to be?? $1.60/lb. Exactly what I paid in York AND its a whole lot closer AND they are already RIPE...AND they are already PICKED.
I could just KICK myself. Instead of driving all the way to York and sweating in the sun hunting for ripe berries that were nowhere to be found, all I had to do was drive 20 minutes, pick up a couple of boxes, pay, and leave.
Guess what I'm doing tomorrow!!
When I got home, in order to not completely waste the day, I *did* pick all my green beans in the garden. When they were all cleaned and cut, I ended up with about 3qts worth. Thats not so bad considering the green beans were an "after thought" crop. We've never planted green beans before, or at least not for several years. So now we know to plant a lot more next year. In the meantime, I'm going to buy some while they're in season and when I have enough I'll can them all at once, probably this weekend so that the ones I got from our garden for FREE don't go to waste!
Oh well, you live and learn I guess.
I was running out of "cloth toilet paper" so I decided I'd use the Wonder Clean to wash them. And so I did. I must say, it worked very well, considering I didn't even use hot water. The science behind the Wonder Clean (or Wonder Washer) is that heat creates pressure inside the cannister, and forces the soap in and through the clothes. It works much like a pressure canner. Since I don't want to use hot water (until I have my solar water heater set up), I use cold, and crank it around a few extra times to mimic the agitation of a regular machine. It still got things nice and clean, so I can't complain. And I wasn't soaked to the bone when I was finished either!
Now all I have to do is set up a laundry area that makes it easy to run through a load quickly and easily. For now, that will be outside at the picnic table, so I can mount the wringer on the picnic table for use. In the winter, I'll have to either make a stand or buy the dynajet stand to mount the wringer on. Then I'll be able to do my laundry quickly and easily right in the kitchen.
But that wasn't the wasted part of the day.
Today the weather was BEAUTIFUL. I decided today would be THE day to go blueberry picking. I had done all my price research, and looked around at the "pick your own" farms. I even called a more local farm to find out if they had blueberries, and they do....but not enough for what I need. However, the owner did mention that I should check with The Country Store to see how much theirs were. That should have been my first clue. But I had already done a lot of pricing and figured that with the price hikes of this year, The Country Store would probably still be more expensive than a "pyo" farm.
There is only one "Pick your own" farm that grows blueberries. Its all the way in York. Since I was hoping to get a total of about 50lbs of blueberries, I figured the gas would be worth it. If I picked 60lbs of blueberries and spent $10 on gas, that would be $1.60/lb.
Now I know those who are experienced at this are probably already laughing.
I drove all the way over there and discovered it took 15 minutes less time than mapquest said it did. So far so good. And I had no trouble finding the place. Again, so far so good. Its an honor system of payment, which appealed to me, and they provided the buckets to pick with...even lined them with bags. GREAT! I grabbed 5 buckets in hopes that I could fill them all, or at least 2 or 3 of them anyway.
So I get out to this nice big blueberry field and discover that although there are TONS of blueberries, most of them are not ripe yet. And the ones that WERE ripe, are already picked (as evidenced by the stems hanging with no berries).
Apparently when I first started picking I must have hit upon a good patch because when I was done with that patch and moved on, it was obvious from the stems hanging there that someone else had beat me to the majority of the other berries. As I wondered around the field, it didn't seem as big anymore.
Don't get me wrong. This blueberry farm is wonderful. Although I missed it, apparently there were two baby fawns in the field right near me. (One of the other pickers told me later). What an incredible place. While I was picking I could hear.....quiet. Birds singing, grasshoppers flying, and children running through the blueberry field with their moms. It really is a beautiful place. And if I lived closer, I'd be there every week (if not every day) to check on the progress of the berries and pick some, or maybe just to sit in the shade and relax. But not when its a half hour's drive or more away and gas costs $4/gallon.
I decided to cut my losses and take the two pounds I had in hand, and go home. On my way home I discovered a connection to Rt. 83 that was easier to use than the one I had used on the way there. And I was happily on my way. Except I got OFF at the wrong "Market St" exit and ended up lost in downtown York. Anyone who knows me knows I can't navigate worth crap. My oldest daughter has always been my copilot for that reason. But not today.
In any case, I finally made it out of York and was on my way home, thinking about The Country Store, and remembering that I had bought a case of blueberries there before a few years ago, and that they *were* priced very reasonably. I decided to stop at that roadside stand again to see if they had green beans in yet. They did, at $30/bushel, but since I hadn't picked my own from my garden yet, I wasn't ready to buy just yet.
Anyway, we got to talking about blueberries, and the woman at the roadside stand said I should check out....you guessed it....The Country Store. By now its almost 5:30pm and the whole way home I was thinking I should call them, but I figured they were closed by now. Not so. The woman at the roadside stand calls The Country Store for me and proceeds to find out that they are selling their blueberries in 20lb boxes for *$32*. Guess how much that works out to be?? $1.60/lb. Exactly what I paid in York AND its a whole lot closer AND they are already RIPE...AND they are already PICKED.
I could just KICK myself. Instead of driving all the way to York and sweating in the sun hunting for ripe berries that were nowhere to be found, all I had to do was drive 20 minutes, pick up a couple of boxes, pay, and leave.
Guess what I'm doing tomorrow!!
When I got home, in order to not completely waste the day, I *did* pick all my green beans in the garden. When they were all cleaned and cut, I ended up with about 3qts worth. Thats not so bad considering the green beans were an "after thought" crop. We've never planted green beans before, or at least not for several years. So now we know to plant a lot more next year. In the meantime, I'm going to buy some while they're in season and when I have enough I'll can them all at once, probably this weekend so that the ones I got from our garden for FREE don't go to waste!
Oh well, you live and learn I guess.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Its All About Habits
I had to work tonight, and enjoyed my night. We were very very busy, but I like it busy because the night goes so much faster, and I feel like I've accomplished a lot. Don't get me wrong, some nights I don't even want to BE there, but I figure everyone feels that way sometimes.
After work I made my first trip to the recycle bins on the food service dock. The recycling dumpsters were fairly easy to find. And I could just about drive my car right up to them, pop the trunk, and just unload. The cardboard bin was up some steps, but no big deal.
It felt SO GOOD to know that now I can actually recycle almost EVERYTHING. I smiled the whole way home thinking about how none of this lifestyle is really that hard. Its all about changing a few habits, and rearranging our lifestyle just a little bit.
And it really is just a little bit. Or maybe its more a string of lots of "little bits".
For example, by recycling almost everything, we can now get a good idea of where we have to improve yet. Whatever is left in the trash can that can't be recycled is where we need to improve. Plastic wrap, the occasional paper towel (my husband is the one guilty of that one!!), wet food cardboards (like ice cream containers or pizza delivery boxes...they are cardboard, but nobody wants them because they had messy food in them). It shouldn't take too much more tweaking to rid ourselves of whatever is left.
And since we are eliminating the packaging coming *into* our house, it motivates me to use those cloth grocery bags. So, now I put them in the trunk of the car, or maybe I'll put them in the backseat until I get in the habit of actually taking them WITH me into the store!!
Another easy habit to change is water use. Where before I washed my face and brushed my teeth over the bathroom sink, now I put a 5gal bucket in the tub. I shave my legs in it (and warm my feet in the winter), wash my face over it, brush my teeth over it, etc. Not only does this help me *see* how much water I'm actually using, I can use the same water at least TWICE by taking the bucket out and watering plants with it, or washing the car with it.
Except for washing my hair and a 2 minute shower (not every day), I only use about 5gal or less per WEEK. Thats a huge cut in water use. And to use it all twice makes the water much more useful. And of course, I'm salivating waiting for that Wonder Clean washer to get here!! To think of the amount of water THAT will save, and I'll even be able to dip rainwater and use that in the Wonder Clean, cutting our town water use even more.
And of course, using cloth toilet paper makes it possible to delay flusing the toilet because toilet paper isn't building up in the bowl....another huge water savings.
Knowing that I need to pay attention to the ripening times of locally grown/sold produce makes it necessary to plan my days around harvesting and preserving food.
Not using a clothes dryer means I have to plan laundry around sunny days.
All of these are just little things, and they really aren't that hard. They are actually very simple, and anyone can do them. And just think of how MUCH we can conserve by doing just a few of these things.
Too often we as individuals can be overwhelmed with wondering what our piddly attempts can possibly accomplsih in the grand scheme of things. But if *everyone* just changed a few of their habits, imagine what could be accomplished on a national scale!
Just change one thing at a time. Pick one thing, and do it for a month. Then add another thing. It takes a month to change a habit. And if you do it slowly and deliberately, it will be easy. And it will get you excited about all the possibilities! And your excitement will be contageous and you will inspire others!
Think of all the ripples in the pond from just one tiny stone. You can be that tiny stone. Just DO IT!!
After work I made my first trip to the recycle bins on the food service dock. The recycling dumpsters were fairly easy to find. And I could just about drive my car right up to them, pop the trunk, and just unload. The cardboard bin was up some steps, but no big deal.
It felt SO GOOD to know that now I can actually recycle almost EVERYTHING. I smiled the whole way home thinking about how none of this lifestyle is really that hard. Its all about changing a few habits, and rearranging our lifestyle just a little bit.
And it really is just a little bit. Or maybe its more a string of lots of "little bits".
For example, by recycling almost everything, we can now get a good idea of where we have to improve yet. Whatever is left in the trash can that can't be recycled is where we need to improve. Plastic wrap, the occasional paper towel (my husband is the one guilty of that one!!), wet food cardboards (like ice cream containers or pizza delivery boxes...they are cardboard, but nobody wants them because they had messy food in them). It shouldn't take too much more tweaking to rid ourselves of whatever is left.
And since we are eliminating the packaging coming *into* our house, it motivates me to use those cloth grocery bags. So, now I put them in the trunk of the car, or maybe I'll put them in the backseat until I get in the habit of actually taking them WITH me into the store!!
Another easy habit to change is water use. Where before I washed my face and brushed my teeth over the bathroom sink, now I put a 5gal bucket in the tub. I shave my legs in it (and warm my feet in the winter), wash my face over it, brush my teeth over it, etc. Not only does this help me *see* how much water I'm actually using, I can use the same water at least TWICE by taking the bucket out and watering plants with it, or washing the car with it.
Except for washing my hair and a 2 minute shower (not every day), I only use about 5gal or less per WEEK. Thats a huge cut in water use. And to use it all twice makes the water much more useful. And of course, I'm salivating waiting for that Wonder Clean washer to get here!! To think of the amount of water THAT will save, and I'll even be able to dip rainwater and use that in the Wonder Clean, cutting our town water use even more.
And of course, using cloth toilet paper makes it possible to delay flusing the toilet because toilet paper isn't building up in the bowl....another huge water savings.
Knowing that I need to pay attention to the ripening times of locally grown/sold produce makes it necessary to plan my days around harvesting and preserving food.
Not using a clothes dryer means I have to plan laundry around sunny days.
All of these are just little things, and they really aren't that hard. They are actually very simple, and anyone can do them. And just think of how MUCH we can conserve by doing just a few of these things.
Too often we as individuals can be overwhelmed with wondering what our piddly attempts can possibly accomplsih in the grand scheme of things. But if *everyone* just changed a few of their habits, imagine what could be accomplished on a national scale!
Just change one thing at a time. Pick one thing, and do it for a month. Then add another thing. It takes a month to change a habit. And if you do it slowly and deliberately, it will be easy. And it will get you excited about all the possibilities! And your excitement will be contageous and you will inspire others!
Think of all the ripples in the pond from just one tiny stone. You can be that tiny stone. Just DO IT!!
Monday, July 21, 2008
The Humanure Handbook is Now Online
Here is the link for this book:
jenkinspublishing.com/downloads/PDF_all%20chapters/Humanure_Handbook3_all_chapters.pdf
This book is an absolute MUST READ for anyone who wants to conserve water, compost, or just know more about how our current method of dealing with human excrement is expensive, inefficient (yes even treated water can still be contaminated...do I really want to DRINK that?), and completely unnecessary.
And if you take a look at page 56, you will find a discussion of how compost miraculously degrades heavy metal and other toxins in a short period of time, even URANIUM!
In fact, one farmer in Austria says he used compost in his fields and it helped keep his plants from absorbing the radioactive poisoning from the Chernobyl accident.
Wow, maybe we're actually onto something here. A new way to dispose of toxic and hazardous materials.
jenkinspublishing.com/downloads/PDF_all%20chapters/Humanure_Handbook3_all_chapters.pdf
This book is an absolute MUST READ for anyone who wants to conserve water, compost, or just know more about how our current method of dealing with human excrement is expensive, inefficient (yes even treated water can still be contaminated...do I really want to DRINK that?), and completely unnecessary.
And if you take a look at page 56, you will find a discussion of how compost miraculously degrades heavy metal and other toxins in a short period of time, even URANIUM!
In fact, one farmer in Austria says he used compost in his fields and it helped keep his plants from absorbing the radioactive poisoning from the Chernobyl accident.
Wow, maybe we're actually onto something here. A new way to dispose of toxic and hazardous materials.
Compost Pile, to Turn?? or Not to Turn??
The link below is to the online version of "The Humanure Handbook". You can also more than likely get a copy at the library.
This book is a MUST READ for anyone who composts, whether you use humaure or not. But if you are not convinced of the common sense of using humanure after reading this, nothing will convince you!! LOL.
There is information in here that I never knew. I mean I knew that only 2% of the water on this planet is drinkable. But I had no idea just HOW MUCH water we are contaminating/wasting, etc just by use of toilets. The whole "water treatment" idea is really a very large and unnecessary (and really inefficient) method of disposing of human excrement. And its really very silly when you consider how the top 6 inches of soil is the most important, and using composted humanure can really speed the process of re-invigorating the soil.
Anyway, one of the other things I've learned so far is that you do not have to turn a compost pile, and in fact, turning a pile can backfire on you. Instead you should layer so that oxygen is trapped in the layers. For example, put kitchen scraps in, then cover it with course textured stuff like sawdust, wood shavings, grass clippings, weeds, etc. Then add a layer of scraps, and layer again with the more coarse stuff. Very very easy. I can attest to that because I've been turning mine with a shovel, and the dirt sometimes gets compacted and very heavy to move around. With my back and neck in such bad shape, its much better if I don't have to turn it at all. I'm so glad to find out that I don't!!
http://jenkinspublishing.com/downloads/PDF_all%20chapters/Humanure_Handbook3_all_chapters.pdf
This book is a MUST READ for anyone who composts, whether you use humaure or not. But if you are not convinced of the common sense of using humanure after reading this, nothing will convince you!! LOL.
There is information in here that I never knew. I mean I knew that only 2% of the water on this planet is drinkable. But I had no idea just HOW MUCH water we are contaminating/wasting, etc just by use of toilets. The whole "water treatment" idea is really a very large and unnecessary (and really inefficient) method of disposing of human excrement. And its really very silly when you consider how the top 6 inches of soil is the most important, and using composted humanure can really speed the process of re-invigorating the soil.
Anyway, one of the other things I've learned so far is that you do not have to turn a compost pile, and in fact, turning a pile can backfire on you. Instead you should layer so that oxygen is trapped in the layers. For example, put kitchen scraps in, then cover it with course textured stuff like sawdust, wood shavings, grass clippings, weeds, etc. Then add a layer of scraps, and layer again with the more coarse stuff. Very very easy. I can attest to that because I've been turning mine with a shovel, and the dirt sometimes gets compacted and very heavy to move around. With my back and neck in such bad shape, its much better if I don't have to turn it at all. I'm so glad to find out that I don't!!
http://jenkinspublishing.com/downloads/PDF_all%20chapters/Humanure_Handbook3_all_chapters.pdf
Cloth TP also means MUCH less flushing!
Today was our first day using cloth toilet paper. We are only using it for "number one" though, not "number two".
And interestingly enough, it really has cut down on the number of flushes...much moreso than I thought it would. I'm not sure why I didn't anticipate that. But since the toilet is not filling up with toilet paper mixed with the mellow yellow, theres no need to flush at all, except maybe once/day to clean the toilet once/day.
This will be a big time water saver, maybe even more than a dual flusher or whatever those more expensive low flushers are called.
The way I figure it, that can only be a good thing.
And interestingly enough, it really has cut down on the number of flushes...much moreso than I thought it would. I'm not sure why I didn't anticipate that. But since the toilet is not filling up with toilet paper mixed with the mellow yellow, theres no need to flush at all, except maybe once/day to clean the toilet once/day.
This will be a big time water saver, maybe even more than a dual flusher or whatever those more expensive low flushers are called.
The way I figure it, that can only be a good thing.
General Musings
I got some candles today from someone on the freecycle list. They'll be nice to dress up and use to decorate the bathroom or a bedroom or something. Or maybe I'll put them on the woodstove just for decoration in the summers.
I managed to get all the trash sorted so that I can take the paper and cardboard trash to work with me tomorrow. Now I need to get it out to the car so I don't forget it!
Then I went to Weis and got dog food. WOW was that ever pricey! It was a whole $4 more expensive than Giant, but it was on my way and I didn't want to use extra gas to get it cheaper. We use IAMS for our dogs, so its pricey to start with, but then ANOTHER $4?? Thats about a 25% inrease!
I also got eggs, but unfortunately the only eggs they had were in styrofoam containers. I HATE styrofoam! I'm trying so hard to cut down on all the trash, and then I bring home *this* stuff.
Then I stopped by the little farm stand up the road from us. This one isn't so "little". They sell local, but also sell a lot of non-local stuff, and they are a bit more expensive than the other stand, but again, this one was on my way home, and gas is always a factor these days. At least there I didn't have *any* extra packaging. I put all the produce in my cloth grocery bags instead.
I did manage to do well with tomatoes. I spent a bit too much on a watermelon, but I'm hungry for watermelon, so I don't care. I got about 5 big tomatoes for $1. They were labeled as "seconds" but they looked fine. And they had these GIANT green bell peppers. They were asking 50cents each. I'm not sure if thats a good price, but I'm pretty sure its cheaper than the grocery store. And since dh took our garden peppers to the mountains, I wanted to get started on filling our freezer. We have more pepper plants that will yield, but not for a few weeks yet. In the meantime, if I can find them cheap I'll just go ahead and get them and put them in the freezer.
So, into the freezer they will go.
I'm still trying to figure out my traveling schedule for the rest of the week. Tomorrow is completely out, as I have to work. But Wed or Thurs I may go pick those blueberries. And Thurs or Fri I'll go get that water heater. Now my dd wants me to take her to Lancaster to get her nails done. So we may have to combine that trip with something else, like taking the dog to the vet or getting the water heater.
I'm so happy that things are coming together so well. Once we get this place set up, the rest should be fairly easy. We just have to re-arrange our lives a little bit to make the most of it all.
The most labor intensive chores will be the garden, preserving food, cooking with a solar cooker (requires more time and planning ahead), and doing laundry. But that Wonder Clean should make a big difference. At least I won't be soaked when I'm finished.
My little grandbaby is coming over today and staying with us for a few days I think. I can't wait to see her. Its been a couple of weeks. The last time I saw her, she hadn't seen me in a couple of months, and I was afraid she wouldn't remember me. But she walked right up to me, gave me a big baby hug, and cuddled right in my lap. AWWWWWW. She just tugs those heart strings!
I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow, because I am so looking forward to taking her to the pool. And the weather has been so hot, I can't wait to get in the pool myself!
I managed to get all the trash sorted so that I can take the paper and cardboard trash to work with me tomorrow. Now I need to get it out to the car so I don't forget it!
Then I went to Weis and got dog food. WOW was that ever pricey! It was a whole $4 more expensive than Giant, but it was on my way and I didn't want to use extra gas to get it cheaper. We use IAMS for our dogs, so its pricey to start with, but then ANOTHER $4?? Thats about a 25% inrease!
I also got eggs, but unfortunately the only eggs they had were in styrofoam containers. I HATE styrofoam! I'm trying so hard to cut down on all the trash, and then I bring home *this* stuff.
Then I stopped by the little farm stand up the road from us. This one isn't so "little". They sell local, but also sell a lot of non-local stuff, and they are a bit more expensive than the other stand, but again, this one was on my way home, and gas is always a factor these days. At least there I didn't have *any* extra packaging. I put all the produce in my cloth grocery bags instead.
I did manage to do well with tomatoes. I spent a bit too much on a watermelon, but I'm hungry for watermelon, so I don't care. I got about 5 big tomatoes for $1. They were labeled as "seconds" but they looked fine. And they had these GIANT green bell peppers. They were asking 50cents each. I'm not sure if thats a good price, but I'm pretty sure its cheaper than the grocery store. And since dh took our garden peppers to the mountains, I wanted to get started on filling our freezer. We have more pepper plants that will yield, but not for a few weeks yet. In the meantime, if I can find them cheap I'll just go ahead and get them and put them in the freezer.
So, into the freezer they will go.
I'm still trying to figure out my traveling schedule for the rest of the week. Tomorrow is completely out, as I have to work. But Wed or Thurs I may go pick those blueberries. And Thurs or Fri I'll go get that water heater. Now my dd wants me to take her to Lancaster to get her nails done. So we may have to combine that trip with something else, like taking the dog to the vet or getting the water heater.
I'm so happy that things are coming together so well. Once we get this place set up, the rest should be fairly easy. We just have to re-arrange our lives a little bit to make the most of it all.
The most labor intensive chores will be the garden, preserving food, cooking with a solar cooker (requires more time and planning ahead), and doing laundry. But that Wonder Clean should make a big difference. At least I won't be soaked when I'm finished.
My little grandbaby is coming over today and staying with us for a few days I think. I can't wait to see her. Its been a couple of weeks. The last time I saw her, she hadn't seen me in a couple of months, and I was afraid she wouldn't remember me. But she walked right up to me, gave me a big baby hug, and cuddled right in my lap. AWWWWWW. She just tugs those heart strings!
I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow, because I am so looking forward to taking her to the pool. And the weather has been so hot, I can't wait to get in the pool myself!
More Zero Waste
A few years ago when I first opted out of the Direct Mailing Association, it seemed like a cumbersome task. NOW you can actually do it online, though I think it costs $5. But thats ok with me. I can spare $5 instead of using new paper and envelopes and stamps.
So, I have now opted out of bulk mailings. I have opted out of bulk email spam. And I called the jasco catalog and asked them to stop sending me their catalog. These things should hopefully reduce the amount of paper coming into my house, and at least my home won't be responsible for wasting trees!!
Now I'm trying to find a way to recycle prescription bottles. I haven't been able to find any pharmacies or vets that are willing to take them. But one woman at a local pharmacy said she'd take them and put them in her curbside recycling, since they now take all plastics, not just #'s 1 and 2. Course, if the Lancaster County Waste people are taking ALL plastics, then I should also be able to put my prescription bottles in the incinerators plastic recycling bin!
So, I have now opted out of bulk mailings. I have opted out of bulk email spam. And I called the jasco catalog and asked them to stop sending me their catalog. These things should hopefully reduce the amount of paper coming into my house, and at least my home won't be responsible for wasting trees!!
Now I'm trying to find a way to recycle prescription bottles. I haven't been able to find any pharmacies or vets that are willing to take them. But one woman at a local pharmacy said she'd take them and put them in her curbside recycling, since they now take all plastics, not just #'s 1 and 2. Course, if the Lancaster County Waste people are taking ALL plastics, then I should also be able to put my prescription bottles in the incinerators plastic recycling bin!
FINALLY!! Zero Waste!!
I found a place to recycle my paper. Interestingly enough, our county does not take junk mail etc. They have pick up points for it, but not at the incinerator 2 miles up the road.
Then I called York County's Waste Management Authority. They *do* take all kinds of junk mail, cardboard, etc. They just started. BUT the area is not lit at all at night, and thats when I'd be dropping stuff off, after work.
Then I had an epiphany. I know the hospital where I work recycles cans and shreds paper with confidential info on it. So I called the housekeeping department and asked if I could bring in my own paper trash from home and add it to theirs. Sure enough, they do have a paper recycling program. And the director mentioned that the receptacle on the food services dock is very underused, which costs them money because they pay the same price whether its empty or full. So, I'm welcome to take my paper trash there and put it in that receptacle. AND he wants me to bag it in grocery bags, so I can get rid of those too!
We also discussed the fact that in the Emergency Dept, there are no paper recycling containers. Apparently, people mistook the brown cans for regular trash cans. And housekeepers would line the cans with brown bags instead of clear ones (brown ones go to the incinerator).
So I suggested we start by making a bright sign labeling the cans and stating that only clear bags go in those cans. I also suggested that they paint the cans a neon color, something that gets people to think about the can, not just toss stuff into it.
He also asked me if we have a recycling container in the nurses lounge, and I said we do not. So he is looking into that and hopefully we will be recycling paper AND plastic, glass, etc. Now I'm really excited. I have a place to recycle my paper without having to drive an hour for no other reason to get there!!!
For those of you with the same difficulties....check with your employer. You may find that they are already recycling, and they might welcome your trash!
Then I called York County's Waste Management Authority. They *do* take all kinds of junk mail, cardboard, etc. They just started. BUT the area is not lit at all at night, and thats when I'd be dropping stuff off, after work.
Then I had an epiphany. I know the hospital where I work recycles cans and shreds paper with confidential info on it. So I called the housekeeping department and asked if I could bring in my own paper trash from home and add it to theirs. Sure enough, they do have a paper recycling program. And the director mentioned that the receptacle on the food services dock is very underused, which costs them money because they pay the same price whether its empty or full. So, I'm welcome to take my paper trash there and put it in that receptacle. AND he wants me to bag it in grocery bags, so I can get rid of those too!
We also discussed the fact that in the Emergency Dept, there are no paper recycling containers. Apparently, people mistook the brown cans for regular trash cans. And housekeepers would line the cans with brown bags instead of clear ones (brown ones go to the incinerator).
So I suggested we start by making a bright sign labeling the cans and stating that only clear bags go in those cans. I also suggested that they paint the cans a neon color, something that gets people to think about the can, not just toss stuff into it.
He also asked me if we have a recycling container in the nurses lounge, and I said we do not. So he is looking into that and hopefully we will be recycling paper AND plastic, glass, etc. Now I'm really excited. I have a place to recycle my paper without having to drive an hour for no other reason to get there!!!
For those of you with the same difficulties....check with your employer. You may find that they are already recycling, and they might welcome your trash!
Baking (in a Solar Oven) and Other Errands and Priorities
Its hotter than hades outside today. I made a solar oven out of cardboard boxes a month or two ago, but have yet to use it. Just haven't had much time. Well today I think I might have to try it. I want to make something simple, like Brownies, to start off with.
First I have to run and get some eggs though!!! The last time I used a home made 'egg replacer' it was a disaster. Energy Egg Replacer works great, if anyone is looking for egg replacers, but I didn't have any of that either. Instead I got some recipe online. Those poor brownies never did rise. And they looked like they were boiling in water. UGH.
Other errands today will include calling the township about the paper recylcing problem, or calling the County to find out where there is any paper recycling programs in my local area (emphasis on LOCAL).
I also found some candles on freecycle and have to go pick them up, along with some dog food (no that didn't come from freecycle..though it would be nice if it did!!).
Since I have to pick up the candles, I won't be blueberry picking today. That will have to wait until Wed or Thurs, probably Thurs. I have to work tomorrow night, and take Sadie to Petsmart on Wed to get tested for heartworm and lyme disease. After that, I can concentrate on blueberry picking. I just hope I don't miss out on the best ones!! And at some point I have to pick up that water heater!
This week is definitely NOT going to be a gas saver. I am trying to combine errands, etc to decrease gas use, but this week it seems like I have to go ten million different directions and FAR and OFTEN. I hate when that happens! I've got 2 trips to Lancaster that I cant' combine because of having the dog along. And I've got two trips to York county that I can't combine because one of them is a work day (can't go into work stained with blueberries and covered in sweat ya know).
I was thinking about picking up another 8 hour bonus shift this week but I don't think I'm going to have time if I have to do the blueberry picking. Maybe when I have more produced stored away. Then I'll feel like I can sacrifice a day to work.
Sounds funny doesn't it?? But its true! When you are living a simpler life, things are more time consuming and things like food preservation take a higher priority than working an outside job. After all, the harvest isn't going to wait that long for you! And if you are going to harvest the food, then you'd better do something to preserve it soon, or you will lose that harvest (and any money you put into it).
I have a good job. I'm an RN and I make really decent money. I only work part time and there are lots of bonus shifts available that offer good money over and above my regular pay. So, why not just work more and not worry about this "simpler living". After all, if I work an extra 2 or 3 hours, thats a full tank of gas.
Why? Because I pride myself on being an American. And to me, the American Dream is all about self sufficiency, and being a good neighbor. When you live a simpler life, you are doing what is best for your body, your health, and the planet. But you also find out that you need good neighbors.
When I think of how things must have been 120 years ago, I think times must have been hard. They didn't have all the technology that we have now that can make the simpler life far more comfortable. I can't wait to get that Wonder Clean washer!! And solar screens are the single best invesment we've made so far!
But I can imagine that being a good neighbor and having a good "name" meant a lot more then than it does now. I think hard times are coming, and those things will become more important again. I don't necessarily want to see hard times hit people that aren't prepared, but I also think its long past time we ALL woke up and started changing the way we live.
Our disposable lifestyle has turned us into selfish, arrogant people who think we are entitled to whatever we want whenever we want it, at any cost to our neighbors. Its no wonder that so many of the kids I run into today have such an attitude of entitlement. They are surrounded by, and immersed in, a disposable society that revolves around instant gratification. Its not really their fault. Its ours! Because we've encouraged and promoted this disposable lifestyle of convenience without work. There is no concept of "earning respect" or "earning your way" because there is no need for that in a disposable society.
Really folks, if we aren't going to change how we live for the sake of the planet and our own health, then we should at least change how we live to foster pride in being Americans. Our country was founded on integrity, sweat, and blood. Its time we got reaquainted with what that really means.
First I have to run and get some eggs though!!! The last time I used a home made 'egg replacer' it was a disaster. Energy Egg Replacer works great, if anyone is looking for egg replacers, but I didn't have any of that either. Instead I got some recipe online. Those poor brownies never did rise. And they looked like they were boiling in water. UGH.
Other errands today will include calling the township about the paper recylcing problem, or calling the County to find out where there is any paper recycling programs in my local area (emphasis on LOCAL).
I also found some candles on freecycle and have to go pick them up, along with some dog food (no that didn't come from freecycle..though it would be nice if it did!!).
Since I have to pick up the candles, I won't be blueberry picking today. That will have to wait until Wed or Thurs, probably Thurs. I have to work tomorrow night, and take Sadie to Petsmart on Wed to get tested for heartworm and lyme disease. After that, I can concentrate on blueberry picking. I just hope I don't miss out on the best ones!! And at some point I have to pick up that water heater!
This week is definitely NOT going to be a gas saver. I am trying to combine errands, etc to decrease gas use, but this week it seems like I have to go ten million different directions and FAR and OFTEN. I hate when that happens! I've got 2 trips to Lancaster that I cant' combine because of having the dog along. And I've got two trips to York county that I can't combine because one of them is a work day (can't go into work stained with blueberries and covered in sweat ya know).
I was thinking about picking up another 8 hour bonus shift this week but I don't think I'm going to have time if I have to do the blueberry picking. Maybe when I have more produced stored away. Then I'll feel like I can sacrifice a day to work.
Sounds funny doesn't it?? But its true! When you are living a simpler life, things are more time consuming and things like food preservation take a higher priority than working an outside job. After all, the harvest isn't going to wait that long for you! And if you are going to harvest the food, then you'd better do something to preserve it soon, or you will lose that harvest (and any money you put into it).
I have a good job. I'm an RN and I make really decent money. I only work part time and there are lots of bonus shifts available that offer good money over and above my regular pay. So, why not just work more and not worry about this "simpler living". After all, if I work an extra 2 or 3 hours, thats a full tank of gas.
Why? Because I pride myself on being an American. And to me, the American Dream is all about self sufficiency, and being a good neighbor. When you live a simpler life, you are doing what is best for your body, your health, and the planet. But you also find out that you need good neighbors.
When I think of how things must have been 120 years ago, I think times must have been hard. They didn't have all the technology that we have now that can make the simpler life far more comfortable. I can't wait to get that Wonder Clean washer!! And solar screens are the single best invesment we've made so far!
But I can imagine that being a good neighbor and having a good "name" meant a lot more then than it does now. I think hard times are coming, and those things will become more important again. I don't necessarily want to see hard times hit people that aren't prepared, but I also think its long past time we ALL woke up and started changing the way we live.
Our disposable lifestyle has turned us into selfish, arrogant people who think we are entitled to whatever we want whenever we want it, at any cost to our neighbors. Its no wonder that so many of the kids I run into today have such an attitude of entitlement. They are surrounded by, and immersed in, a disposable society that revolves around instant gratification. Its not really their fault. Its ours! Because we've encouraged and promoted this disposable lifestyle of convenience without work. There is no concept of "earning respect" or "earning your way" because there is no need for that in a disposable society.
Really folks, if we aren't going to change how we live for the sake of the planet and our own health, then we should at least change how we live to foster pride in being Americans. Our country was founded on integrity, sweat, and blood. Its time we got reaquainted with what that really means.
Getting stuff we need, and for FREE
Enter: FREECYCLE
Freecycle is one of the best things ever invented. Truly. I never cease to be amazed by stuff that people offer, and that others actually TAKE it!!
Someone advertised an offer of elastic, and I wanted it. But someone else actually beat me to it! And it never ceases to amaze me that usually, right around the time I need something, someone is offering it.
It sure helps to get the clutter out of my house as well. One of the things about simple living is that you discover that you really don't need as much as you thought you did. Freecycle is the answer to decluttering too!
So don't forget, one person's trash is another person's treasure. Go for it!
Freecycle is one of the best things ever invented. Truly. I never cease to be amazed by stuff that people offer, and that others actually TAKE it!!
Someone advertised an offer of elastic, and I wanted it. But someone else actually beat me to it! And it never ceases to amaze me that usually, right around the time I need something, someone is offering it.
It sure helps to get the clutter out of my house as well. One of the things about simple living is that you discover that you really don't need as much as you thought you did. Freecycle is the answer to decluttering too!
So don't forget, one person's trash is another person's treasure. Go for it!
Saving TREES, go to CLOTH
Have you ever seen those toilet paper/paper towels made by Seventh Generation? They are great, and now Giant carries them, which I'm really glad for. Seventh Generation makes their paper towels and toilet paper out of recycled paper. But there is something even *better* that can be done.
ENTER: CLOTH
How many old towels do you have around that you're not sure what to do with? I don't know about you, but we usually have these towels around forever because we just don't get around to doing anything else with them, and then they end up with holes so I don't want to take them to the local charity. And we have so many towels that we can't fit them all in the cabinet.
A few years ago, I even looked into cloth sanitary napkins. I even bought some. And they are quite comfortable, very nice. But I lost many of them. (Kind of like how socks get eaten by the washer??). I was thinking about buying more, but then I remembered there are some patterns online. So I looked at those. And I've since come up with my own ideas of what I'm going to do to make these.
The truth is I don't use pads much anyway. I've always preferred tampons, so when I bought those pads, I also bought a "keeper". The Keeper, also known as a Diva Cup is made of rubber or silicone. It is used like a tampon but is easily washed and re-used. That may sound gross, but do you have any idea how many tons of sanitary products are thrown away? How gross are *those* landfills?? Its really ridiculous and completely unnecessary. And since this is a choice that affects only me, and not my husband, I figured it was something I could do without inconveniencing anyone else.
Of course, then my daughters got old enough that this affects them too. And the diva cup/Keeper is a bit difficult to learn how to use for someone their ages. So I kind of gave up on the whole thing. (I'm like one of those "all or nothing" kinds of people. Its hard for me to make baby steps and count them as being for real).
Just last week though we were out of supplies and one of my daughters asked me if I still had any of the cloth ones left. It just so happens I did, and she used it and all was well. And that got me to thinking that its time to get back to saving the trees, (and our feminine health as well). And as it turns out, I had gotten TONS of fabric from my computer repair guy. He gave me free service in exchange for taking all this fabric off his hands. So, eventually I'll make some pretty cloth items.
Well, we've taken it just one step further. Not only did I cut up towels a few weeks ago to substitue for paper towels, I found a website that discussed cloth TOILET PAPER!
http://walkslowlylivewildly.com/category/cloth-toilet-paper/
(Bear with me while I figure out how to insert links. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. For now, just copy and paste into your browser)
Now that seems just a bit gross, but I decided it was worth a try. So I took some of those "cloth instead of paper towels" and cut them smaller, to be used as wipes. They are sitting in a nice little basket on the back of the toilet. And there's a nice bag there to put them in once they are used. There were so many that I couldn't fit them all in the basket, so I've put a bowl in the kitchen and stacked some in there too, right where the paper towels usually sit.
I'm not quite ready to be washing poopy wipes though, so for now we are only using them for "number 1". Regular paper toilet paper will be for "number 2". Yes, yes, I know it does sound gross. But in my opinion, every little bit helps, and why not?
Ok, ok, if you are still too squeamish for using cloth, and you visit my house, don't worry. I will have conventional toilet paper easily available and accessible for you to use!
ENTER: CLOTH
How many old towels do you have around that you're not sure what to do with? I don't know about you, but we usually have these towels around forever because we just don't get around to doing anything else with them, and then they end up with holes so I don't want to take them to the local charity. And we have so many towels that we can't fit them all in the cabinet.
A few years ago, I even looked into cloth sanitary napkins. I even bought some. And they are quite comfortable, very nice. But I lost many of them. (Kind of like how socks get eaten by the washer??). I was thinking about buying more, but then I remembered there are some patterns online. So I looked at those. And I've since come up with my own ideas of what I'm going to do to make these.
The truth is I don't use pads much anyway. I've always preferred tampons, so when I bought those pads, I also bought a "keeper". The Keeper, also known as a Diva Cup is made of rubber or silicone. It is used like a tampon but is easily washed and re-used. That may sound gross, but do you have any idea how many tons of sanitary products are thrown away? How gross are *those* landfills?? Its really ridiculous and completely unnecessary. And since this is a choice that affects only me, and not my husband, I figured it was something I could do without inconveniencing anyone else.
Of course, then my daughters got old enough that this affects them too. And the diva cup/Keeper is a bit difficult to learn how to use for someone their ages. So I kind of gave up on the whole thing. (I'm like one of those "all or nothing" kinds of people. Its hard for me to make baby steps and count them as being for real).
Just last week though we were out of supplies and one of my daughters asked me if I still had any of the cloth ones left. It just so happens I did, and she used it and all was well. And that got me to thinking that its time to get back to saving the trees, (and our feminine health as well). And as it turns out, I had gotten TONS of fabric from my computer repair guy. He gave me free service in exchange for taking all this fabric off his hands. So, eventually I'll make some pretty cloth items.
Well, we've taken it just one step further. Not only did I cut up towels a few weeks ago to substitue for paper towels, I found a website that discussed cloth TOILET PAPER!
http://walkslowlylivewildly.com/category/cloth-toilet-paper/
(Bear with me while I figure out how to insert links. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. For now, just copy and paste into your browser)
Now that seems just a bit gross, but I decided it was worth a try. So I took some of those "cloth instead of paper towels" and cut them smaller, to be used as wipes. They are sitting in a nice little basket on the back of the toilet. And there's a nice bag there to put them in once they are used. There were so many that I couldn't fit them all in the basket, so I've put a bowl in the kitchen and stacked some in there too, right where the paper towels usually sit.
I'm not quite ready to be washing poopy wipes though, so for now we are only using them for "number 1". Regular paper toilet paper will be for "number 2". Yes, yes, I know it does sound gross. But in my opinion, every little bit helps, and why not?
Ok, ok, if you are still too squeamish for using cloth, and you visit my house, don't worry. I will have conventional toilet paper easily available and accessible for you to use!
Recycling used WATER?
I don't know why, but I've heard that in many places a gray water tank is not legal. Now WHY would that be? Are they afraid that it might get mixed in with the township's treated water supply? I suppose thats a legitimate concern. Even so, I'm planning on having one. I plan on routing all the shower, bathroom sink, and washer water to the graywater tank. That way it shouldn't get mixed in with anything else.
But what can I do right NOW? I don't have the know how to make a gray water tank just yet. And I'm pretty busy with the many other eco projects I'm already doing. So, for the time being, I brush my teeth and use a drinking cup to wet my brush, and rinse my mouth. That cuts down on the inital amount of water.
I wash my face over a bucket. I fill a bucket with some water to shave my legs with. (This is also enough to warm my feet in winter without wasting 50gal of water in the tub!). I do laundry in buckets right now, but I *will* be using the Wonder Clean and draining the used water into a bucket.
Then I carry the bucket to plants that need watering.
Of course, then I have to be careful what kinds of soap I use. Not all soaps are good for plants. So, I use castille or glycerin soaps. No strange sounding, unpronounceable chemical names.
This way much less water is used initially, and all the water gets used twice.
But what can I do right NOW? I don't have the know how to make a gray water tank just yet. And I'm pretty busy with the many other eco projects I'm already doing. So, for the time being, I brush my teeth and use a drinking cup to wet my brush, and rinse my mouth. That cuts down on the inital amount of water.
I wash my face over a bucket. I fill a bucket with some water to shave my legs with. (This is also enough to warm my feet in winter without wasting 50gal of water in the tub!). I do laundry in buckets right now, but I *will* be using the Wonder Clean and draining the used water into a bucket.
Then I carry the bucket to plants that need watering.
Of course, then I have to be careful what kinds of soap I use. Not all soaps are good for plants. So, I use castille or glycerin soaps. No strange sounding, unpronounceable chemical names.
This way much less water is used initially, and all the water gets used twice.
Food...Local, Local, Local!
Although we've had a garden for years, Dan is usually the one who does all the work with the garden, turning it over, planting, watering, harvesting, etc. Well, this year I've decided I should be more invovled, especially if I want to figure out how much we need to store for the winter.
Our garden has gotten larger over the years. It started out as a small 6ftx6ft plot. (Thats when it was my idea). And this too was a project that I got away from as I was busy with kids, etc.
Now we grow all kinds of things in it, but its still not enough by itself to preseve food for a whole winter. In addition to the garden, we also have fruit trees (peaches, plum, apple, and a sour cherry tree), but the peach trees are dying, and I'm not sure why. Interestingly enough, a peach tree took root right outside our kitchen, off the deck. We used to dump our scraps off the deck into the ground cover out there. A peach seed must have germinated out there, and now we have a producing tree, right outside the kitchen!
In addition to the fruit trees, we have raspberry bushes and blueberry bushes, and a strawberry patch. The raspberry bushes eclipsed the blueberries and strawberries this year so we didn't get as many strawberries as we have in the past, but still had quite a few. Very few blueberries though. Dan is planning on moving the raspberry bushes to the border of the property. Besides their hogging the sunlight, there are some other reasons for this. First, the dogs need a border so they don't take off past the invisible fence. The fence works well UNTIL someone else is walking their dog out there. It used to be just a field out there, and the dogs aren't used to seeing people walking around out there, so they think they are defending their hunting grounds. They used to hunt groundhogs together out there.
The other reason is just so people don't go wandering into our yard to pick the fruit, etc. That fruit has become mighty important to us as grocery prices have skyrocketed!
Since I can't preserve all that we need from the garden and fruit trees/bushes alone, I'm also looking around for 'pick your own' farms. This week I'm hoping to get to a farm within an hour's drive to get some blueberries picked. We love blueberries so I'm hoping to pick about 50 or 60lbs.
It might actually be cheaper to buy the blueberries frozen on sale at the grocery store BUT who knows where those were grown or how. And I believe in supporting the local farmers and local economy. So, I'm going to put my hat on and go a-pickin instead. I may have to drive between 1/2hr to an hour, so the gas makes them more expensive overall, at least more than they would be if they were in my backyard, but we can't do *everything* all at once. We'll get more growing over time. For now, we have to support our local farmers instead.
And folks...please DO remember to use cloth grocery bags. Every little step you can take makes a difference.
Our garden has gotten larger over the years. It started out as a small 6ftx6ft plot. (Thats when it was my idea). And this too was a project that I got away from as I was busy with kids, etc.
Now we grow all kinds of things in it, but its still not enough by itself to preseve food for a whole winter. In addition to the garden, we also have fruit trees (peaches, plum, apple, and a sour cherry tree), but the peach trees are dying, and I'm not sure why. Interestingly enough, a peach tree took root right outside our kitchen, off the deck. We used to dump our scraps off the deck into the ground cover out there. A peach seed must have germinated out there, and now we have a producing tree, right outside the kitchen!
In addition to the fruit trees, we have raspberry bushes and blueberry bushes, and a strawberry patch. The raspberry bushes eclipsed the blueberries and strawberries this year so we didn't get as many strawberries as we have in the past, but still had quite a few. Very few blueberries though. Dan is planning on moving the raspberry bushes to the border of the property. Besides their hogging the sunlight, there are some other reasons for this. First, the dogs need a border so they don't take off past the invisible fence. The fence works well UNTIL someone else is walking their dog out there. It used to be just a field out there, and the dogs aren't used to seeing people walking around out there, so they think they are defending their hunting grounds. They used to hunt groundhogs together out there.
The other reason is just so people don't go wandering into our yard to pick the fruit, etc. That fruit has become mighty important to us as grocery prices have skyrocketed!
Since I can't preserve all that we need from the garden and fruit trees/bushes alone, I'm also looking around for 'pick your own' farms. This week I'm hoping to get to a farm within an hour's drive to get some blueberries picked. We love blueberries so I'm hoping to pick about 50 or 60lbs.
It might actually be cheaper to buy the blueberries frozen on sale at the grocery store BUT who knows where those were grown or how. And I believe in supporting the local farmers and local economy. So, I'm going to put my hat on and go a-pickin instead. I may have to drive between 1/2hr to an hour, so the gas makes them more expensive overall, at least more than they would be if they were in my backyard, but we can't do *everything* all at once. We'll get more growing over time. For now, we have to support our local farmers instead.
And folks...please DO remember to use cloth grocery bags. Every little step you can take makes a difference.
What to do with all that TRASH!
We've always burned our paper trash. Not sure why, its just what we've always done. A few years ago I began recycling everything. There is a place in Lancaster that recycles all kinds of paper. I was working in a town 30 min away at the time so it was no biggie to take the paper there and be done with it, but I don't work in Lancaster anymore. And paper builds up fast around here.
Plastic, tin, metal, glass, aluminum all get recycled. Our township does not come around and collect it, though. We have to haul it to the recycling dumpster. This was one of those projects that I got away from because I felt too busy to keep up with it. But my husband has since picked up the ball and run with it.
The only thing we can't seem to recycle is paper. We don't buy newspapers usually...at least not on subscription. We do get a weekly community paper that does not require a subscription. In the winter we use it for kindling in the woodstove. But other than that, most of what we have comes in the way of mail and packaging.
So, now what to do with it all? Apparently, although burning wood is clean and ok for the environment, burning cardboard and other kinds of trash is not. Tomorrow (later today...it is 3am already!) I am going to call the township about what I can do with recycling paper. I wonder if there is anywhere that is closer than that town 30 min away that will take all of this stuff. I'm also going to try and cut down on the amount of paper that comes in the mail, etc by writing (again) and getting off of the direct mail listings. I did that a long time ago, but I think there's a time limit on that, and then you have to do it again.
I may also opt for e-bills instead of paper ones. I already opt for e-bank statements.
I have one 32gal trashcan to collect all the paper in, but then it will be too heavy to move, so I am probably going to have to use something smaller that needs transported more frequently.
Any ideas from anyone would be helpful!
Plastic, tin, metal, glass, aluminum all get recycled. Our township does not come around and collect it, though. We have to haul it to the recycling dumpster. This was one of those projects that I got away from because I felt too busy to keep up with it. But my husband has since picked up the ball and run with it.
The only thing we can't seem to recycle is paper. We don't buy newspapers usually...at least not on subscription. We do get a weekly community paper that does not require a subscription. In the winter we use it for kindling in the woodstove. But other than that, most of what we have comes in the way of mail and packaging.
So, now what to do with it all? Apparently, although burning wood is clean and ok for the environment, burning cardboard and other kinds of trash is not. Tomorrow (later today...it is 3am already!) I am going to call the township about what I can do with recycling paper. I wonder if there is anywhere that is closer than that town 30 min away that will take all of this stuff. I'm also going to try and cut down on the amount of paper that comes in the mail, etc by writing (again) and getting off of the direct mail listings. I did that a long time ago, but I think there's a time limit on that, and then you have to do it again.
I may also opt for e-bills instead of paper ones. I already opt for e-bank statements.
I have one 32gal trashcan to collect all the paper in, but then it will be too heavy to move, so I am probably going to have to use something smaller that needs transported more frequently.
Any ideas from anyone would be helpful!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Oil heat?? At THESE prices??? Are you KIDDING?
We have a 300gal oil tank. We heat with oil/forced air. And the furnace is about 25years old. I wonder how much longer it will last. But to pay for oil? At THESE prices??
As it turns out, this is where our home's design comes in very handy. We have a raised ranch with a narrow spiral staircase connecting the upstairs with the downstairs. At the bottom of the steps we have a woodstove. When we first moved in, we had a little woodstove. It was pretty. It had a screen so you could see the wood burning. Nice atmosphere. Romantic. But, the logs had to be small.
Then my parents decided to sell their house and had an auction. Inside the garage was *their* woodstove. A *big* woodstove. And we got it for a whole $10. Yes thats right, TEN BUCKS. That was many years go, maybe 15 or so.
We've always had the woodstove to heat the downstairs at least because the downstairs doesn't have any heat otherwise. (Our furnace only heats the upstairs). With the new woodstove, we can heat the entire house, well *almost*. The bedrooms are at the ends of the house, with the woodstove downstairs and kitchen/living room upstairs in the center. Nevertheless, the woodstove does do a pretty good job of heating the living areas, and if the bedrooms are open, the heat can get in there too.
Last year, my daughter told us that her room got too cold, so we bought her a ceramic heater. Then one day this past spring, she turned it on and CRACKLE CRACKLE POOF, it went up in flames. Too much lint, dust, dirt, etc. Good thing she was home. many times she's left it plugged in and running intermittently to keep her room warm even when she wasn't there. Fortunatley, because of this experience, she has decided not to have anymore electrical heaters in her room.
Where do we get our wood? Well, my husband is a delivery truck driver for a lumber company. So he is out and around driving a lot. And he runs into a lot of people who have wood they want to get rid of. Or the borough or other townships are cutting trees down for other reasons and they want to get rid of it too. So, he asks, or they offer, but we always have enough wood. This year we have 8 cords of wood cut and stacked. We only ever use less than 3 each winter. (Another advantage to our home is that its not overly large. Smaller is easier to heat).
In addition to the wood heat, we have those windows I mentioned in the "cooling" post. The 7 large south facing windows give us plenty of passive solar heat in the winter. And the shade tree outside sheds all of its leaves too, so we don't have the tree blocking the sunlight.
This past winter, there were many days when we actually opened windows because it was *too* hot in the house! And when our baby grandaughter came over, she could be found running around in her diaper in winter time, because it was almost to hot for her to wear clothing! Of course, that meant less laundry too!
As it turns out, this is where our home's design comes in very handy. We have a raised ranch with a narrow spiral staircase connecting the upstairs with the downstairs. At the bottom of the steps we have a woodstove. When we first moved in, we had a little woodstove. It was pretty. It had a screen so you could see the wood burning. Nice atmosphere. Romantic. But, the logs had to be small.
Then my parents decided to sell their house and had an auction. Inside the garage was *their* woodstove. A *big* woodstove. And we got it for a whole $10. Yes thats right, TEN BUCKS. That was many years go, maybe 15 or so.
We've always had the woodstove to heat the downstairs at least because the downstairs doesn't have any heat otherwise. (Our furnace only heats the upstairs). With the new woodstove, we can heat the entire house, well *almost*. The bedrooms are at the ends of the house, with the woodstove downstairs and kitchen/living room upstairs in the center. Nevertheless, the woodstove does do a pretty good job of heating the living areas, and if the bedrooms are open, the heat can get in there too.
Last year, my daughter told us that her room got too cold, so we bought her a ceramic heater. Then one day this past spring, she turned it on and CRACKLE CRACKLE POOF, it went up in flames. Too much lint, dust, dirt, etc. Good thing she was home. many times she's left it plugged in and running intermittently to keep her room warm even when she wasn't there. Fortunatley, because of this experience, she has decided not to have anymore electrical heaters in her room.
Where do we get our wood? Well, my husband is a delivery truck driver for a lumber company. So he is out and around driving a lot. And he runs into a lot of people who have wood they want to get rid of. Or the borough or other townships are cutting trees down for other reasons and they want to get rid of it too. So, he asks, or they offer, but we always have enough wood. This year we have 8 cords of wood cut and stacked. We only ever use less than 3 each winter. (Another advantage to our home is that its not overly large. Smaller is easier to heat).
In addition to the wood heat, we have those windows I mentioned in the "cooling" post. The 7 large south facing windows give us plenty of passive solar heat in the winter. And the shade tree outside sheds all of its leaves too, so we don't have the tree blocking the sunlight.
This past winter, there were many days when we actually opened windows because it was *too* hot in the house! And when our baby grandaughter came over, she could be found running around in her diaper in winter time, because it was almost to hot for her to wear clothing! Of course, that meant less laundry too!
Laundry? Without electric?
Another project I decided to try was laundry. In case you haven't noticed, I've been trying to made small but significant changes around here, but changes that I can sustain on my own for the most part until I can get the rest of the family convinced!
In the case of laundry, we actually do have washing machine (top load) and dryer. They are both kenmores and neither shows any signs of kicking the bucket, even after 20 years.
Top loading machines use an enormous amount of water. I read of a great idea though. Use 2 5gal buckets, a new toilet plunger (not an old one...ewwww), and a hand wringer. I had everything except the wringer. I looked everywhere for a used one but could'nt find one at the right price. I finally bit the bullet and bought a dynajet.
Last week I did my first load of handwashed laundry. UGH. It was 2 king sized sheets. Double UGH. I have since done a load of clothes, and it is much easier to do clothes than king sized sheets. Never the less.....its a very sloppy job.
Transferring the laundry from the wash bucket to the rinse bucket, sloshing water all over my legs, etc. Having to refill the buckets because of water loss on my legs....it seemed like too much and not much savings in the way of water. PLUS, how was I going to do this in the winter???
And remember, although I'm trying to live a more sustainable life, I also want to be comfortable. I'm not crazy after all!!! And I want to encourage others to live more sustainable lives. That won't happen if they think its too hard or *too* inconvenient!
So, I've ordered the "Wonder Clean" from Lehman's store for $45. Its a small cannister. You fill it with your clothes, a very small amount of detergent, and a small amount of water. You hand crank it around and around and the pressure created in the drum forces the soap and water into the fabrics. its all physics.
From all the reviews I've read, it really works. Its small (maybe even tiny). But it works. It is far less messy. When I'm done cranking the handle to wash the clothes, I drain the water into a bucket and recycle the water if I want. Then put in clean water and rinse, drain, and repeat if I want. No mess.
And I can still wring the clothes dry before hanging them up on the line. So the wringer was not a waste of money. I think I've found my answer to the laundry problem.
Just think. If I don't need my washer and dryer, thats extra space in my laundry room for other possibilities!
In the case of laundry, we actually do have washing machine (top load) and dryer. They are both kenmores and neither shows any signs of kicking the bucket, even after 20 years.
Top loading machines use an enormous amount of water. I read of a great idea though. Use 2 5gal buckets, a new toilet plunger (not an old one...ewwww), and a hand wringer. I had everything except the wringer. I looked everywhere for a used one but could'nt find one at the right price. I finally bit the bullet and bought a dynajet.
Last week I did my first load of handwashed laundry. UGH. It was 2 king sized sheets. Double UGH. I have since done a load of clothes, and it is much easier to do clothes than king sized sheets. Never the less.....its a very sloppy job.
Transferring the laundry from the wash bucket to the rinse bucket, sloshing water all over my legs, etc. Having to refill the buckets because of water loss on my legs....it seemed like too much and not much savings in the way of water. PLUS, how was I going to do this in the winter???
And remember, although I'm trying to live a more sustainable life, I also want to be comfortable. I'm not crazy after all!!! And I want to encourage others to live more sustainable lives. That won't happen if they think its too hard or *too* inconvenient!
So, I've ordered the "Wonder Clean" from Lehman's store for $45. Its a small cannister. You fill it with your clothes, a very small amount of detergent, and a small amount of water. You hand crank it around and around and the pressure created in the drum forces the soap and water into the fabrics. its all physics.
From all the reviews I've read, it really works. Its small (maybe even tiny). But it works. It is far less messy. When I'm done cranking the handle to wash the clothes, I drain the water into a bucket and recycle the water if I want. Then put in clean water and rinse, drain, and repeat if I want. No mess.
And I can still wring the clothes dry before hanging them up on the line. So the wringer was not a waste of money. I think I've found my answer to the laundry problem.
Just think. If I don't need my washer and dryer, thats extra space in my laundry room for other possibilities!
Rainwater Harvesting
This will be a short one, because we haven't done it yet. I also don't think it will be that hard.
We don't have our metal roof on yet...soon I hope. But once its on, I'm going to put 55gal barrels at each down spout and collect the rainwater off the roof. For now I'm not going to add a roof wash (to divert dirty water before collecting). We're only using the water for irrigation and laundry.
In the future, I hope to have a cistern, but thats a long way off. I'd like to be able to drink the water too, but that will require a filter. So those are future goals.
In the meantime, we have buckets out to catch the rain. We catch rain in the boat, and then Dan ran a hose from the boat to the garden to irrigate.
When I finally do get the 55gal barrels up and running, I'm hoping to put one on the deck so its near the kitchen. Easier to dip and haul water if its only a few feet away, and NOT up the steps!
I got our 55gal barrels from someone on Craigslist for $10 each. They are food grade barrels with lids, so I think they will work great.
We don't have our metal roof on yet...soon I hope. But once its on, I'm going to put 55gal barrels at each down spout and collect the rainwater off the roof. For now I'm not going to add a roof wash (to divert dirty water before collecting). We're only using the water for irrigation and laundry.
In the future, I hope to have a cistern, but thats a long way off. I'd like to be able to drink the water too, but that will require a filter. So those are future goals.
In the meantime, we have buckets out to catch the rain. We catch rain in the boat, and then Dan ran a hose from the boat to the garden to irrigate.
When I finally do get the 55gal barrels up and running, I'm hoping to put one on the deck so its near the kitchen. Easier to dip and haul water if its only a few feet away, and NOT up the steps!
I got our 55gal barrels from someone on Craigslist for $10 each. They are food grade barrels with lids, so I think they will work great.
Hot water? Where??
When I really sit down and think about what we need hot water for, I come up with only two things: dishwashing, and showers.
A few years ago, before we went to CREATION, I bought a solar shower bag. I thought it would be nice to have it on the camping trip. I was right. I remember how dusty it was. My hair got so full of dust you could put it in any position and it would STAY that way!!
I have long since lost that bag. But I figured nowadays they might not be so expensive to replace. Lo and behold....walmart had them. I bought 3 of them, each for $7ish.
I can put them on my back deck to heat water all day long, and then dump the water in the sink to wash dishes, so that takes care of the dish problem. But what about showers?
Someone on homestead.org posted their picture of their outdoor shower. VERY pretty. Its basically a small structure with lattice on the sides and vines growing on the lattice. Its surrounded by other trees and plants. It just looks lovely. I bet its very refreshing to shower out there.
We only own an acre though, and there is soon to be a development behind us. So, where to put an outdoor shower here? Of course! The deck!!
I took one of those shower bags and hung it on a hook. (I've GOT to come up with a better way to haul it up and down though, that bag is HEAVY and I don't have a very good back). Then I ordered one of those tent showers (its called a "multipurpose room"). Due to the way things worked out, I had to cut a hole in the back of the tent, but it works great. There is PLENTY of room in there to move around. And it was VERY refreshing to shower outside with the breeze. I felt VERY private though. And the water, once drained out of the bottom of the tent, can water the ground cover and peach tree that is right next to the deck, thus recycling the water.
My oldest daughter came home and said "did you really take a shower in THAT?". LOL. But my youngest couldn't wait to try it out.
The water pressure isn't all that great and like I said, hauling that bag up and down is hard. So I'll have to come up with something better, but for now, its a workable solution and we won't need to use the propane water heater for the rest of the summer.
But what about a permanent solution? Well, thank goodness for FREECYCLE. I advertised that I was looking for an old hot water heater that didn't have to work, but it couldn't leak. Someone did come through, so later this week I'm going to go get it.
I'm going to take off the casing and paint the steel drum inside black. Then enclose it in a wood box with a glass top. Voila, a solar hot water heater. All I have to do then is to reroute the plumbing from the existing hot water heater to the solar one. And I'd like to make it so I can run either of them independently if I want to.
I know in the dead of winter, the solar heater might not work so well, so I'm thinking I may enclose it in its own little glass house. Maybe that will extend its use to all year round then. In any case, it will save us on propane, which is getting as expensive as gasoline these days!
A few years ago, before we went to CREATION, I bought a solar shower bag. I thought it would be nice to have it on the camping trip. I was right. I remember how dusty it was. My hair got so full of dust you could put it in any position and it would STAY that way!!
I have long since lost that bag. But I figured nowadays they might not be so expensive to replace. Lo and behold....walmart had them. I bought 3 of them, each for $7ish.
I can put them on my back deck to heat water all day long, and then dump the water in the sink to wash dishes, so that takes care of the dish problem. But what about showers?
Someone on homestead.org posted their picture of their outdoor shower. VERY pretty. Its basically a small structure with lattice on the sides and vines growing on the lattice. Its surrounded by other trees and plants. It just looks lovely. I bet its very refreshing to shower out there.
We only own an acre though, and there is soon to be a development behind us. So, where to put an outdoor shower here? Of course! The deck!!
I took one of those shower bags and hung it on a hook. (I've GOT to come up with a better way to haul it up and down though, that bag is HEAVY and I don't have a very good back). Then I ordered one of those tent showers (its called a "multipurpose room"). Due to the way things worked out, I had to cut a hole in the back of the tent, but it works great. There is PLENTY of room in there to move around. And it was VERY refreshing to shower outside with the breeze. I felt VERY private though. And the water, once drained out of the bottom of the tent, can water the ground cover and peach tree that is right next to the deck, thus recycling the water.
My oldest daughter came home and said "did you really take a shower in THAT?". LOL. But my youngest couldn't wait to try it out.
The water pressure isn't all that great and like I said, hauling that bag up and down is hard. So I'll have to come up with something better, but for now, its a workable solution and we won't need to use the propane water heater for the rest of the summer.
But what about a permanent solution? Well, thank goodness for FREECYCLE. I advertised that I was looking for an old hot water heater that didn't have to work, but it couldn't leak. Someone did come through, so later this week I'm going to go get it.
I'm going to take off the casing and paint the steel drum inside black. Then enclose it in a wood box with a glass top. Voila, a solar hot water heater. All I have to do then is to reroute the plumbing from the existing hot water heater to the solar one. And I'd like to make it so I can run either of them independently if I want to.
I know in the dead of winter, the solar heater might not work so well, so I'm thinking I may enclose it in its own little glass house. Maybe that will extend its use to all year round then. In any case, it will save us on propane, which is getting as expensive as gasoline these days!
Solar electricity?
Like many of you, I've looked into the idea of going "off grid". I'd like nothing better than to be off grid completely. But its not going to happen yet. So, whats a poor country girl to do, to at least keep moving in the right direction?
UNPLUG.
The first step in going offgrid is to conserve. Figure out where you're willing to sacrifice and where you're not. Figure out what your alternatives are and which ones you like and which ones you don't.
The first thing we did was switch to CFL's. We did that a long time ago, and now they are getting cheaper, thank goodness!
My family is very electric dependent yet, so to go all out all at once is not going to work. Instead, I unplug absolutely everything that is not actually in use. The only things always plugged in are the refrigerator and freezer. I have the washer plugged in because the receptical is hard to get to. I no longer use the washer, but my kids do and my husband does. Baby steps baby steps.
I do have everyone participating in Operation Unplug though.
For those that may not know it, many of your appliances draw a pretty hefty power load even when they are turned OFF. This includes the TV, the cable boxes, the microwave, the computer, the cable modem, the printer, etc. I'm sure there are more. So, in order to make sure we arne't drawing electric that we aren't even using, everything gets unplugged.
The first month I kept track of the electric bill was May. The bill was $85. The second month included part of the time with a/c's running. But we also unplugged everything that month. The bill remained $85. The latest electric bill was $120. But thats with daily use of a/c. And like I said, I'm hoping by next year, we won't even need a/c anymore.
This fall will give us a more accurate idea of how much electric we actually need.
The next step for me is going to be eliminating appliances that I don't actually need, and thus eliminating the need for their electric power. I'll list them in separate posts.
UNPLUG.
The first step in going offgrid is to conserve. Figure out where you're willing to sacrifice and where you're not. Figure out what your alternatives are and which ones you like and which ones you don't.
The first thing we did was switch to CFL's. We did that a long time ago, and now they are getting cheaper, thank goodness!
My family is very electric dependent yet, so to go all out all at once is not going to work. Instead, I unplug absolutely everything that is not actually in use. The only things always plugged in are the refrigerator and freezer. I have the washer plugged in because the receptical is hard to get to. I no longer use the washer, but my kids do and my husband does. Baby steps baby steps.
I do have everyone participating in Operation Unplug though.
For those that may not know it, many of your appliances draw a pretty hefty power load even when they are turned OFF. This includes the TV, the cable boxes, the microwave, the computer, the cable modem, the printer, etc. I'm sure there are more. So, in order to make sure we arne't drawing electric that we aren't even using, everything gets unplugged.
The first month I kept track of the electric bill was May. The bill was $85. The second month included part of the time with a/c's running. But we also unplugged everything that month. The bill remained $85. The latest electric bill was $120. But thats with daily use of a/c. And like I said, I'm hoping by next year, we won't even need a/c anymore.
This fall will give us a more accurate idea of how much electric we actually need.
The next step for me is going to be eliminating appliances that I don't actually need, and thus eliminating the need for their electric power. I'll list them in separate posts.
Cooling the house??? in THIS weather???
I was all set. My husband and I have decided that we are going to replace our roof (long overdue) with a metal roof. It took a bit of convincing to persuade my husband, but I listed all the benefits of metal roofs:
Reflects the sun's rays, doesn't need replaced in 20 years, can be put down over top of the existing roof, and we can collect rainwater off a metal roof.
Dh was not convinced that it was ok to lay a metal roof down overtop the existing roof (asphalt shingle). But another contractor convinced him this was ok. Since we wouldn't have to dispose of the existing roof, we'd save somewhere between 800-1000 in disposal costs. AND we wouldn't be putting more into a landfill (always a good thing to me). So, metal it is.
When we finally get to putting the new roof on, I am also going to put up radiant barrier, and we are going to cut in a new attic window on the west side of the house, to encourage the breeze from that end and circulate the air better. All of these things should keep the heat down in the attic.
Enter......SOLAR SCREENS. I cannot say enough about these. A few years ago I had found these on the internet. Of course I wanted to order enough to cover ALL of my windows. But it was expensive at the time. And I wasn't sure if it really worked. So, I bought enough for ONE window. Our kitchen window on the south side of the house is small, but the heat load! Oh my. That one windows heated up our kitchen to no end. We added the solar screen, inserting it into regular screen framing (instead of solar framing...which is made for the thicker screens), and Dh was just a bit frustrated with how difficult it was to get those screens into the frames. But he did succeed, we installed the frame, and wow....the kitchen was MUCH cooler.
I always knew we'd cover the other windows, but I just didn't know when. Well, this year I found the screens much cheaper at Home Depot. I bought 100ft for $100. We have 7 windows on the south side of the house that are 6ft high and 3ft wide. A whole wall of windows. Needless to say, we have used that passive solar heat in winter for years. But its not so comfortable in the summer, even *with* the tree that has grown enough to shade the house.
So, I thought if we're going to put these up on the big windows, I want to be able to take them down in winter, to take advantage of the solar heat. I thought too, it would be easier and cheaper to make wood frames and just staple the screens onto the wood frames, then use "hook and eye" (can't think of what they are actually called) to hang them.
At first dh didn't think that kind of hanging idea would work, but that is what we ended up doing, and it works great. He made all the frames. And he didin't just make frames. He stained them, stapled the screens on, and then covered the staples with moulding...really dressing it up. Now it looks like we have 7 giant stereo speakers hanging on our house!
BUT IT WORKS! We were both SHOCKED at how much cooler the house is with these screens, especially our son's room. His room gets so hot in the summer that its not even habitable. Now its a nice even, cool temp.
We dont' need nearly as much a/c, though we are still using it because we got hit with the first heat wave before the solar screens were in. We felt forced to start up the a/c and now we are spoiled with the dry air. So, the goal is to get the roof on, the radiant barrier in, and the new west window. And then NEXT year, hopefully we'll never even get those a/c's out.
Reflects the sun's rays, doesn't need replaced in 20 years, can be put down over top of the existing roof, and we can collect rainwater off a metal roof.
Dh was not convinced that it was ok to lay a metal roof down overtop the existing roof (asphalt shingle). But another contractor convinced him this was ok. Since we wouldn't have to dispose of the existing roof, we'd save somewhere between 800-1000 in disposal costs. AND we wouldn't be putting more into a landfill (always a good thing to me). So, metal it is.
When we finally get to putting the new roof on, I am also going to put up radiant barrier, and we are going to cut in a new attic window on the west side of the house, to encourage the breeze from that end and circulate the air better. All of these things should keep the heat down in the attic.
Enter......SOLAR SCREENS. I cannot say enough about these. A few years ago I had found these on the internet. Of course I wanted to order enough to cover ALL of my windows. But it was expensive at the time. And I wasn't sure if it really worked. So, I bought enough for ONE window. Our kitchen window on the south side of the house is small, but the heat load! Oh my. That one windows heated up our kitchen to no end. We added the solar screen, inserting it into regular screen framing (instead of solar framing...which is made for the thicker screens), and Dh was just a bit frustrated with how difficult it was to get those screens into the frames. But he did succeed, we installed the frame, and wow....the kitchen was MUCH cooler.
I always knew we'd cover the other windows, but I just didn't know when. Well, this year I found the screens much cheaper at Home Depot. I bought 100ft for $100. We have 7 windows on the south side of the house that are 6ft high and 3ft wide. A whole wall of windows. Needless to say, we have used that passive solar heat in winter for years. But its not so comfortable in the summer, even *with* the tree that has grown enough to shade the house.
So, I thought if we're going to put these up on the big windows, I want to be able to take them down in winter, to take advantage of the solar heat. I thought too, it would be easier and cheaper to make wood frames and just staple the screens onto the wood frames, then use "hook and eye" (can't think of what they are actually called) to hang them.
At first dh didn't think that kind of hanging idea would work, but that is what we ended up doing, and it works great. He made all the frames. And he didin't just make frames. He stained them, stapled the screens on, and then covered the staples with moulding...really dressing it up. Now it looks like we have 7 giant stereo speakers hanging on our house!
BUT IT WORKS! We were both SHOCKED at how much cooler the house is with these screens, especially our son's room. His room gets so hot in the summer that its not even habitable. Now its a nice even, cool temp.
We dont' need nearly as much a/c, though we are still using it because we got hit with the first heat wave before the solar screens were in. We felt forced to start up the a/c and now we are spoiled with the dry air. So, the goal is to get the roof on, the radiant barrier in, and the new west window. And then NEXT year, hopefully we'll never even get those a/c's out.
Compost Toilets!
Now that the compost bin is done, I decided we needed a compost toilet. We only have one bathroom here and we've always wanted a second bathroom downstairs but to run the plumbing, and then flush "uphill" was a huge expense.
I started looking at commercial compost toilets because I wanted something that would show others unfamiliar with sustainable living that compost toilets don't have to stink or be off putting, or be inconvenient. Well the cost *was* offputting and inconvenient. Then I read about sawdust toilets! At first I thought that wasn't for me. They didn't look attractive enough, or so I thought. I found a website dedicated to humanure that showed all kinds of home made sawdust toilets, and they were very nice looking.
I was also not convinced that they wouldn't stink. Well, the only way to know was to try it out myself. So for less than $7 I built our very first sawdust toilet. And guess what. There is NO smell.
In order to add stability, I put the 5gal bucket inside a plastic milk crate we had laying around. And to make it look nice, I made a fabric skirt with an elastic band to put it on the bucket. And it *does* look really nice (so nice in fact, that my cat ...a female no less...likes to pee on it). Go figure!
When the bucket gets full, I take it out to the compost bin and dump it. And I must say, since it doens't get full that often, by the time I get it out to the compost bin, its partially composted already with the sawdust. So it doesn't stink even when I empty it!
I'd like to also put a sawdust toilet upstairs and replace the flush toilet, but I know that not everyone in my family is ready for that. To my surprise, my youngest daughter is into it. She and her friends think its "cool" to use the sawdust toilet, and use it they do!
So, for the time being, the flusher stays. If the bathroom were large enough, I'd add a sawdust toilet to it and leave the flusher there. But we don't have that much room. Maybe someday :o).
I started looking at commercial compost toilets because I wanted something that would show others unfamiliar with sustainable living that compost toilets don't have to stink or be off putting, or be inconvenient. Well the cost *was* offputting and inconvenient. Then I read about sawdust toilets! At first I thought that wasn't for me. They didn't look attractive enough, or so I thought. I found a website dedicated to humanure that showed all kinds of home made sawdust toilets, and they were very nice looking.
I was also not convinced that they wouldn't stink. Well, the only way to know was to try it out myself. So for less than $7 I built our very first sawdust toilet. And guess what. There is NO smell.
In order to add stability, I put the 5gal bucket inside a plastic milk crate we had laying around. And to make it look nice, I made a fabric skirt with an elastic band to put it on the bucket. And it *does* look really nice (so nice in fact, that my cat ...a female no less...likes to pee on it). Go figure!
When the bucket gets full, I take it out to the compost bin and dump it. And I must say, since it doens't get full that often, by the time I get it out to the compost bin, its partially composted already with the sawdust. So it doesn't stink even when I empty it!
I'd like to also put a sawdust toilet upstairs and replace the flush toilet, but I know that not everyone in my family is ready for that. To my surprise, my youngest daughter is into it. She and her friends think its "cool" to use the sawdust toilet, and use it they do!
So, for the time being, the flusher stays. If the bathroom were large enough, I'd add a sawdust toilet to it and leave the flusher there. But we don't have that much room. Maybe someday :o).
Compost Compost Everywhere!
I've been thinking about composting for a LOOONG time. But just never actually did anything about it. This year, knowing that our garden was going to become much more important, I thought composting might be something worth trying.
My husband was justifiably skeptical. After all, I had tried other projects only to abandon them later. But things are different now. I actually have more time on my hands to devote to something like this. And I've always wanted us to be more independent and self sufficient. Still, I understood that he didn't want to be involved with this project. It had to be something I could do on my own.
The first thing I had to figure out was HOW I was going to make a "compost bin". Then I remembered the two 32gal trash cans we have on the deck that we rarely ever use. I grabbed one and took it aside. That night I asked my husband if he would let me use his drill and 1 inch drill bit. He did (wasn't that so nice of him??).
I drilled holes all over it. And voila! My compost bin was born. Dh thought that we'd never have enough scraps to fill it. What we've been doing all these years is just throwing the scarps into the garden, randomly.
And so, my composting project began. Within a month or two, the compost bin was 2/3 full. And it was getting harder to turn because it was deep. So, I mentioned to dh that we needed a bigger compost bin, preferably 2 cubic yards. To my surprise, he chose the spot. So out I went with shovel in hand, hoping to dig out 2 cubic yards from a hill. Ha. I got some of it done, but certainly not enough. My dh finished the digging for me.
We got some cement block we had laying around and built "walls" for the bins, dividing it into 2 bins. And my husband even added rebar to keep them from leaning!
So now we have more conventional compost bins, and I'm pleased to say they are doing the job. I go out about once/week and turn the compost. And we add scraps to it all the time.
My husband was justifiably skeptical. After all, I had tried other projects only to abandon them later. But things are different now. I actually have more time on my hands to devote to something like this. And I've always wanted us to be more independent and self sufficient. Still, I understood that he didn't want to be involved with this project. It had to be something I could do on my own.
The first thing I had to figure out was HOW I was going to make a "compost bin". Then I remembered the two 32gal trash cans we have on the deck that we rarely ever use. I grabbed one and took it aside. That night I asked my husband if he would let me use his drill and 1 inch drill bit. He did (wasn't that so nice of him??).
I drilled holes all over it. And voila! My compost bin was born. Dh thought that we'd never have enough scraps to fill it. What we've been doing all these years is just throwing the scarps into the garden, randomly.
And so, my composting project began. Within a month or two, the compost bin was 2/3 full. And it was getting harder to turn because it was deep. So, I mentioned to dh that we needed a bigger compost bin, preferably 2 cubic yards. To my surprise, he chose the spot. So out I went with shovel in hand, hoping to dig out 2 cubic yards from a hill. Ha. I got some of it done, but certainly not enough. My dh finished the digging for me.
We got some cement block we had laying around and built "walls" for the bins, dividing it into 2 bins. And my husband even added rebar to keep them from leaning!
So now we have more conventional compost bins, and I'm pleased to say they are doing the job. I go out about once/week and turn the compost. And we add scraps to it all the time.
Getting started
I actually started thinking about doing this a few years ago. I even did start to do *some* things. But I was a busy mom with young kids and a part time job, among other things and just didn't have the time to really follow through on a lot of this, even though I wanted to.
I even spent some time going vegan but once again, trying to keep up with it and keep up with the rest of my family was hard. Its always hard being the only one doing these life changing things.
Now the kids are older. I still work part time but because the kids are busy with many of their own things, I have more time to try and actually get some of this going. And well, the gas prices had a lot to do with this too.
I've always been unhappy with how dependent we are on oil. One of the things that I think made America unique was its character of independence. I personally think that the American Dream originally was the opportunity for people to live *independently*, whether that meant not getting hassled about one's chosen religion, or being able to live without government interference.
Nowadays, we have become way too dependent on the government, foreign oil, and basically, convenience in general. We've become lax. And while all of this is convenient, and might look like "the good life", it comes at a very high cost. I dont know about you, but i'm not willing to pay that cost anymore.
When we first got married, I moved into my husband's house. He had bought this house and moved in about a year before we got married. At the time, I wasn't sure if this was the house I wanted to live in for the rest of my life. But now, 20 years later, I can honestly say there are some distinct advantages to this house. As I go through each of the ways I plan on becoming more independent, you will come to see what I mean.
I even spent some time going vegan but once again, trying to keep up with it and keep up with the rest of my family was hard. Its always hard being the only one doing these life changing things.
Now the kids are older. I still work part time but because the kids are busy with many of their own things, I have more time to try and actually get some of this going. And well, the gas prices had a lot to do with this too.
I've always been unhappy with how dependent we are on oil. One of the things that I think made America unique was its character of independence. I personally think that the American Dream originally was the opportunity for people to live *independently*, whether that meant not getting hassled about one's chosen religion, or being able to live without government interference.
Nowadays, we have become way too dependent on the government, foreign oil, and basically, convenience in general. We've become lax. And while all of this is convenient, and might look like "the good life", it comes at a very high cost. I dont know about you, but i'm not willing to pay that cost anymore.
When we first got married, I moved into my husband's house. He had bought this house and moved in about a year before we got married. At the time, I wasn't sure if this was the house I wanted to live in for the rest of my life. But now, 20 years later, I can honestly say there are some distinct advantages to this house. As I go through each of the ways I plan on becoming more independent, you will come to see what I mean.
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