New home

We moved to our little cottage because I was unable to live in the previous house as my new reality means getting about in a wheelchair. I live in 3 rooms, the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom and my living space expands into the garden in summer. As a ramp has now been installed I am getting out a little in the garden and creating a growing space there.

Planning to live in a small home

I can honestly say that I have over the years not always seen eye to eye with my parents but when they decided to think about their retirement living space I was astounded and pleasantly surprised by their unusual course of action.

At the time they lived in the country in a 4 bedroomed family property with a bit of land near woodland. They had built their dreamhome when I was about 12 and before that had lived in a town. My mother liked her garden and my father liked the idea of playing his music when he wanted without disturbing neighbours. I grew up near the riverbank, planted a small garden and safely went for nature walks in the wood.

At some point something triggered a change of direction. The house was 2.5 miles from the nearest shopping facility and my father's health deteriorated. My mother did not drive and they posed themselves the question how they would manage later on in their lives.

They visited many retirement homes and eventually decided to settle in a university town with plenty going on. They settled for a 2 room apartment ( bedroom and living space) and decided to make the most of the space available by purchasing new furniture. Then they transferred all the things that were precious to them ( very little) and settled in.

But what about the family home?

1. First they invited friends to choose what they wanted and needed a little bit like a freecycle open house.
2. Secondly they invited acquaintances and other villagers to come and choose what they wanted and needed.
3. Then they got a company to clear out the rest of stuff and set about selling the house.

A few months ago, we bought a small cottage where we live in 600 sq feet and the children live above in a similar space. Effectively its a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom downstairs, and we are following some of the same principles with the difference that we are far from retirement.

It is certainly not tidy and a work in progress but we only brought with us what we thought we needed. And even then I have established I have far too many serving dishes and crockery.

Instead of having many rooms each room offers an area set up for different activities, whether it be reading, cooking, recycling etc.

The children did the same and left behind a lot of stuff they had outgrown, games, videos etc We each have our own space and common areas such as the kitchen, shower room and living room. Yes it can get crowded but it is also cosy sitting by the fire, enjoying a hot drink and reading or conversing together.

The running costs are lower and we have managed without much central heating so far by lighting the woodburner and the range in the kitchen.

What about the garden?
There is a small front garden full of wildlife and a paved garden at the back of the house which hopefully will in time have enough produce growing in pots.

Life is simple. the owl lives in the big tree, the birds awaken us at dawn and there is a sense of personal peace and contentment as I go about our new home. So far I have not missed many items left behind.

How to establish your rhythm of life

What rhythm of life is appropriate to you and how to find out what is it?

STAGES OF LIFE

There are a number of stages in our life and to accept and know which one we live in now can help us tweak the energy we have. Children have a need for routine, adolescents need sleep to function properly, young adults, active in the workplace, young parents, the 30 age group, 40, 50, 60, 70 etc.Each stage of life brings challenges with it, You might be following that linear path as it unfolds or like me navigate between them.

Questions relating to each stage :

SLEEP( night)

How many hours of sleep do you need for optimum energy?
Do you sleep the required number of hours and if not what is stopping you?
If you were to sleep the required number of hours what would be the impact on your energy?
If you cannot sleep the required number can you build in a nap in the day?

Our daily rhythms vary and although I know I am at my optimum energy when having had a good 8 hours uninterrupted nighttime sleep  my teenage sons require about 12 hours and are a lot more present if I accept their rhythm. That means that their breakfast time is my lunch time and our main meal in the evening is their lunch time and that at 9 pm they are likely to need a snack. Even if it means we have different daily rhythms they meet at certain points.

ACTIVITIES( Day)

How  many hours does it take you to do your work?
when is the best time for you to use available optimum energy?
Does your commute add time to that?
Do you take time to be present when you eat a nourishing meal?
Are there seasonal changes to this pattern?( Winter and autumn)

WEEK
How do I use the time at weekends? (Could be catching up on sleep)
Is there balance in my work and play?

SEASONS

There can be very little variation on how we currently use our energy during the seasons and every week seems like another but it was not always so.
Spring was a time of planting new seeds, new life, growth after a period of fasting and as the workload increased so did the length of the day. With the convenience of electric light we can modify that but do we use the time to its optimum?
Summer was a time for tending the growing plants, eat fruits in season, socialising and usually a time to work and play at maximum capacity. Summer is the time of plenty, warm, long days.
Autumn is a time of harvest and preparing for colder weather by processing the harvest and ensuring we will have our needs met in the colder days. Autumn offers us ambiguous days that remind us of summer but also of the winter ahead.
Winter offers us the shortest amount of daylight hours and an opportunity to see if the fruits of our labours do indeed carry us through to the next season. Harvests are limited but it can be a time to slow down a little, stay warm, coset ourselves a bit and plan and gain strength for the year ahead.

YEARS

Each year and each period in our life has its own demands and thinking of what is important and what is authentic to us we can live with each 'now' in harmony or discord.

Somehow this century we have challenged these rhythms of life by working day and night, every day of the week, eating everything whenever we wanted, anytime in the name of progress. We rarely notice a change of season or pace getting out in all weathers, to accomplish our life's work paced over the seasons of the year instead of over 365 days.

A step towards change to ponder:

Start by finding out how many hours of sleep are most beneficial for you and make it a habit to get the sleep you need.( it fluctuates with age, health issues, effect of nutrition etc)
Can you give yourself a day of rest each week and plan activities that will nourish you?

Its an ongoing movement towards doing our life's work and staying present in the 'now' noticing the time of day, day of the week, seasons and how we function at our optimum level. It is a challenge but enables us to make our lives meaningful.

Instant gratification- I want it all

The New Year brought such an impetus of things I wanted to do to simplify my life even further so I thought I would write out those resolutions and got a bit overwhelmed with all the changes I intended to make.

January was used to look at those and I chose the sustainable wardrobe as my major project and then there was the garden, locally sourced produce in season, work goals, health, relationship, financial, energy efficient goals etc. Knowing full well the energy to achieve all of those would exhaust me and make life less simple to begin with. Some of these goals warranted investigating.

• Why did I choose this goal
• Is it aligned with what I believe is important
• Am I willing to commit time to it and if so how much
• What are the consequences of this decision.
• Is it in line with my major life goals or a distraction?

Lets say your goal is to go and ski. Skiing happens at a certain moment when snow is available, so is time limited. This means travel and staying somewhere other than home. Requires a passport , special gear, toiletries and is going to make a dent in your budget. Now if its is in alignment with your authentic self( a need)  you will go and find a way and have the satisfaction you have achieved something important with meaning. If however you go because you need a break from the rat race or the impulse came from a glossy brochure or advert, you may feel very discontented at the outcome.

Despite wanting to live a simpler life a downshifting path to simplicity the inflow of information we get every day to flex those consumer muscles is so great that our brains get more hits for consumerism than to simplify life.

In my goal setting I found that although I thought I had mastered the skill of differentiating between what is an important task and what is a want in my buying habits, this had not followed through in my personal life. And the most important habit to break is that of instant gratification so deeply engrained sometimes we are not aware of it.

To reduce the impact of consumer messages we have a system to deal with the post, reducing the amount of junk mail, recycling the paper as the post comes in and ending up with  the important mail that requires a response.Those pieces of paper then get devided into home or business and get dealt with when I give the home or business folder allocated time and attention. It can wait.

If only it were as simple as the post. We are regularly receiving

•  post
• email messages
• twitter messages
• facebook messages 
•  pinterest
• adverts

and most of them incite us to buy something and influence our choices.

Every time you buy something in the high street or online, it triggers a marketing campaign sending you emails whenever your profile shows up as a potential customer. You get asked for your postcode and what number you live in and there you are added to a mailing list. Every time you buy something the messages enticing you to buy increase. Companies are fighting for your buying power especially in a challenged consumer environment as where most people are tightening their belts after the spending spree for Christmas or for fear of losing their job. I know its a controversial issue because at the heart of it, we are asked to consume to create and keep jobs.

To counteract that we simply physically stop shopping but then turn online for our shopping needs. The consequences of shopping online brings you boxes and materials to recycle as well as the item you ordered plus a daily amount of emails which thankfully are easier to unsubscribe from and delete virtually. Many a purchase asks you to set up an account which when you do means another password to remember and more email messages for account holders.( including special offers just for you)

A few years ago my son was waxing lyrical about the benefits of a certain washing powder, how it would fulfill my need etc. We are open to receiving these buying impulses and clever though they are they diminish our personal power to make decisions about what we need and want. Add to that the trigger of instant gratification, and we impulse buy because we want it, and we want it now.

This was brought home to me while testing a new organizational app called The Habit Factor which as it happens  accompanies a book , available tomorrow in hardback or instantly to a kindle and enabled me to list all my goals and then told me I could only concentrate on 3 of those goals. Three? The question I pondered this weekend was whose decision I follow when I want to achieve a goal, my own need or did the thought for that need originate as a marketing ploy?

Therein lies the differential and unhappiness between the goals our authentic self chooses and the ones we often pursue implanted by a clever marketing campaign.

Another app that brought me some insight was Astrid which enabled me to transfer those goals into steps I needed to take to achieve the goal and then allocated time in my schedule to do the tasks necessary.  Three goals are sufficient to fill a whole diary and both these tools have been instrumental in helping me choose my three most important goal allocated to the three most important roles. By the time I consider my health, family and work I have my three major areas of goal-setting.

I am not proud of the fact that I still want it and want it now as an impulse, knowing that consciously means I can set myself the task to wait, 24 hours, one week etc. A wishlist is a great tool as it gives me the instant gratification of acknowledging I want it now, but tomorrow I can delete the item knowing I really don't need it,

What drives your life?

The rewards of a simple life

To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter….to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring- these are the rewards of the simple life.

John Burroughs

80% of our time is spent on our physical needs :

• Food
• Warmth
• Shelter
• Work
• Education
• Health

20% is spent on our Spiritual,  social and psychological needs :

• community
• love
• friendship
• beauty
• art
• music

When we concentrate all our energies in providing for our physical needs, we lose:

• a sense of belonging
• active and meaningful supportive relationships
• the support of friends
• an appreciation of the beauty that surrounds us
• expressions of creative beauty found in music and the arts.

Non material experiences are needed to feed our imagination and our creativity. We need time to contemplate, to make things with our hands, to express our selves.

Searching for a simpler lifestyle  may be a call from the soul to not forget our social, psychological and spiritual needs.

To create a balance we could :

• write a letter to a friend and make arrangements to meet.
• spend time with our partners and talk a walk in nature
• make time to reflect, meditate and relax
• plan a garden and sit in a nature sanctuary
• visit an art gallery
• make bread
• find ways to express our creativity.

Above all, we could simply be who we are and connect with others.

Personal exploration: leave a comment and share how you express your creativity

She sun shines on everyone

As we look forward to a family Christmas and our only real day off in the year, we are also very busy putting together food orders for our customers. Those who are not able to come out due to icy weather will find that their purchases are delivered by neighbours. Local village Christmas cards are being delivered by the children while they raise funds for the Youth club and sheep can be seen huddled on the frosty hills.

Since we bought the shop our lives have been busy focused on bringing our values and beliefs to the fore and reaching out to the next level from self, family to community. Personally I would have liked to share more of the journey to this point but with limited energy my writing has often found itself in the background. I also found it difficult to write about voluntary simplicity while many in the world seemed to have to change their way of living in a drastic way.

We have introduced a variety of local produce in the shop and some wholefood ingredients as well as having some variety for those who are on wheat free, gluten free and dairy free diets. We continue to seek out local producers whether they be very small, small, medium or large in a bid to create food relationships that serve us all. That means touring the local farmers markets, trying the products at home and getting an opinion from every age range. As we receive feedback, we provide the producers with feedback, whether it be good or a growth point for them to take on board but as where communication is often lacking from wholesalers, we want to know why the person decided to create that particular product for the marketplace, what their passion is and how we can help them with growing their business.

Besides my posts about the garden, the shop and my personal reflections I will from time to time highlight a small company whose product we carry to take the circle one step further.

What remains is for me to thank every one of you for reading my blog thus far and for all your comments which have changed a monologue into a dialogue.

The words by Ghandi

‘ Be the change you want to see in the world’

have been a guiding light to me and 2010 may well be the year where you feel the call to be the change you want to see in the world as together, with small actions, we can indeed make a difference.

Creating change

Persistence


Change is palpable in the air at the moment. Many of you will face changes in employment, shopping habits and our environment. What we have taken for granted as ' always there' is about to disappear. What I mean by that is that our perception of ' normal' is going to be challenged.

The news continues to contain either companies going into administration or taking drastic cutting back procedures which will involve a loss of facilities, a loss of jobs and a loss of products available to purchase. The banks, then luxury goods ( such as Wedgwood), now Mark and Spencers are cutting out small food stores and I anticipate seeing pressure on many retailers that provide luxury items we took as being the ' norm'.

At the same time, the value of sterling has been dropping which means that our purchasing power abroad is reduced. This can be seen in a great price increase in produce that is imported from Europe such as flowers, fruit and vegetables. As buyer for a small village shop that means that some of the products that people use ( i.e. olive oil), may start to creep up in price. The difficulty I foresee for many shoppers is that they will need to start shopping more locally for their resources and this may mean a change in eating habits too. This creates unknown territory for shoppers and retailers alike and uncertain times as well as opportunities.

Many of us are used to go to the supermarket with the idea that tonight we fancy Italian, pasta with fresh tomatoe sauce, basil and a lovely bottle of wine. The local produce on offer at the moment is rather duller : potatoes, leeks, beetroot, brussels sprouts, swedes and turnips and on the meat section duck, venison etc. Fish is limited to turbot, brill and oysters. Not Italian then as the norm today. On the menu could be roasted roots with some venison sausages if you can find them. That dish however is not going to be made in seconds. In general the season demands slow cooked casseroles, stews and soups with or without a drop of wine.

To create change drastically means that our stress levels go up so here is my strategy for dealing with change and creating a difference should you be faced with immediate change:

Every big project or goal can be broken down into small steps. Little lurches forward. Sometimes they're clumsy. Sometimes they don't even seem to make an impact. But this is how anything gets done within a certain timescale. If you want to create a big change, plan backwards to the little step you can take today to start that process.

* Years and years of built up clutter get sorted and thrown away one drawer at a time. Plan for 10 mins each day to sort and reuse, recycle or donate.

* Years and years of reckless eating and unhealthy habits get shifted one meal at a time. (Plan a 15 min walk 1 day a week, then 2 etc) and cook a healthy meal with local ingredients 1 day, 2 days, 3 days etc per week.

Cutting your financial budget and repaying debts can happen if you plan one step at a time. Reduce spending on the small things ( latte, magazine, doughnut) and the money saved can go on paying debt.

As we are now on a deconsuming pattern, changes will happen and withdrawal symptoms for many will be heartfelt. Apathy may set in as well as depression but on the other hand you may have an opportunity to make small changes that will create a new way of life. Taking positive action means you will find a way through.

The heating went on while we had visitors and now they have left we realise that we got accustomed again to a higher temperature and day by day we can change that. If we change it immediately, we would really feel the discomfort. Any voluntary change can happen and puts you in control, if a change is forced upon you, then you may feel a different reaction.

Downshifting may no longer be a voluntary thing but one step at a time it is a possibility.

The sky at night

The skies have been brilliant and inspiring over the last few days. The days are cold and the wind is whipping up from a different direction. The garden is being put to bed and my attention is drawn to the inside of the house.

Now is a time to tidy the tools away, clean and oil them. It is satisfying to see that the garden will still be producing some salads; purslane, parsley and celery still abound and there have been plenty of bulbs planted to bring spring colour.

The canning equipment is being put away, the damson gin is about to be put into bottles as gifts for loved ones and a tipple for me when it gets really cold. From the corner comes the spinning wheel and the many bags of fleece that still need to be spun,the knitting needles can click away, the pile of books is ready to be read. I have started a sweater that is lighter and warm for next year's cold spells. I also check the supplies of essential oils, essences and other supplies.

It’s time to begin making gifts for the December holiday season! First though, a day of Thanksgiving. This year, my thanks are not only for continued health, friends, the shop, the home that feels more like ours and the countryside around me; but more - they are for quiet, serenity, inner peace, and a recognition that the things with which I am blessed become too numerous to list as soon as I begin. May it be so for all of you who share this blog and downshifting journey.

Downshifting revisited - the tipping point

Words to Live By: Believe

January and September generally are months in which I reflect on the directions we take and look back on what has happened.

The economic climate at the moment is a difficult one, almost like a house of cards tumbling down. As an individual there is very little I can do about that apart from watching in the sidelines and staying strapped in on the roller coaster of events. If you have recently been made redundant remember it is not personal, do not feel a victim but use it as an opportunity to change track.

What follows are some of the principles that guide my decisions:

1. Stop buying - it sounds almost too easy but one of the major changes in this household has been to establish what our buying patterns are, why we buy, what we buy and how we can simplify that scenario. Example, I had a fetish about black trousers. 15 pairs were in the cupboard and at the same time I would still go and buy more. I had no idea I was doing that but I now own 3 pairs and rotate them. When one wears out I can buy another one. No impulse buying. Buying also does not mean new, it could be freecycled, second hand, eBay and new as a last resort if all other options fail. This action means you don’t need to earn as much, to buy as much, instead you can focus on living. Before you buy anything check whether it is in line with your downshifting goals and values.

2. Figure out what you can do now - can you develop your garden, declutter and sell stuff on eBay, get an allotment, can you afford to work less than 5 days a week, can you explore the library, start cycling, or learn a new skill? Look at what you have, what you need and address the balance.

3. Change what & how you eat - start supporting local markets and farmers. Better nutrition leads to less dependency on sugar and quick fixes to keep energy levels stable. If you visit the library you can read up on the subject and make changes. A food diary helps to establish why and what you eat. Our motto in the village shop is to encourage local producers and sell as much as we can that is locally produced in the county.

4. Change how you travel - can you reduce the amount of time you spend in the car? Check out alternatives : walk, cycle, share transport, get a bus, or more drastically check why you are travelling in the first place.Live locally and explore what is happening within 5 miles from your home, or whatever distance you can cover on foot or bike.

5. Imagine what people did 20 years ago and try to bring in some of those same activities and ways of living into your home. Write letters, visit people in person, join the library, go for walks in the park, grow your own vegetables and fruit or help someone who has a large garden and share the produce, play cards, play board games, read books, knit, sew and learn skills from others, have a social drink at your local pub and get acquainted with the your neighbours.

6. Look at what you need and redefine what you want. Create a plan of where you want to be to enable you to reach your downshifting goal. Some people are lucky, they bought when the market was lower and have enough value in their home to downshift significantly within a short period of time. If that is not the case for you or not possible in the economic climate, redefine what space you need, how much it will cost and whether you need to change location to make it happen. There are huge price differences within the UK with regards of property prices, rentals, jobs etc. If that applies to you ;do your sums, what do you need, how long will it take?Maybe share your space with others and create an income that way. Share resources.

7. Think about what you want to do when you downshift and learn how to do it now. Do you want to be a self sufficient smallholder, then volunteer at a farm, even a city one. Start gardening, using any spare time you have to invest in yourself and the skills you may need in the future. Do you want to make all your presents and gifts? Then start with what you can do and sign up for a class if you need to; you will meet other people and share enthusiasm and skills. Many classes are subsidised.

8. Don’t try to change too much too soon. Take one step at a time, the small impact leads to other more natural steps. There are people who moved jobs, countries etc in a very short period and found it very hard. Try to downshift at home, where you are now and explore possibilities. It took 2 years for us to realise that there was no need to burden ourselves financially, that we could live in a different way and then made plans to make that happen.

9. Do what you need to do while in the city or while in your country while you can. It may not all be immediately possible but you can take charge or your home, your health, your well being. your nutrition and live differently.

10. Downshifting can be more that just moving. It is about personal growth, changes within you, a change of direction, a change in what you thought you were doing and what ultimately what you want to do in line with your values and expectations. It is about changing yourself so that the changes you make can be reflected in the world we live in. If you stop buying factory produced chickens then ultimately, they will produce less and look at alternatives. The reason currently banks are collapsing is because they shared the belief that property prices would rise eternally and that the risks of lending to people who could not afford it would give them a win win situation. The people would be paying over the odds and then when the house was repossessed, the banks would cash in. It was about profit.

This is the real tipping point, we have been downshifting voluntarily and now need to share what we have learnt with those who face it head on as they are forced to deal with the crisis heading their way.

Believe that it is possible and you will find crumbs on your path to show you the way.

The turning point

The news articles in today's newspapers are telling us of a new phenomenon : despite rapid increasing prices for fuel, food and daily living expenses the average high street spending has increased to record levels last month, way beyond expectations. When the government expects people to tighten their belts and spending, many have gone out of their way to spend more and more. There are 2 possibilities : some people may feel that now is the time to buy as next month the item may be more expensive and others might use shopping as a way to make them feel better about the rising costs of mortgage, credit and life in general in defiance. Whatever the motives, the move is a different one than expected.

On a local level we are seeing a difference too. We are spending more time explaining to people what we can do locally so they do not need to travel to the nearest town and there is a change in buying patterns too as people reconsider travel journeys that can be avoided. A more worrying trend is that some suppliers are going into liquidation, i.e. voluntary bankruptcy as profit margins decrease and running costs and interest rates rise. This will wipe out some businesses that are influenced by these factors and will result in some smaller companies laying off staff, and an increase in local unemployment.

I personally believe that the trend will continue as with higher fuel costs, higher prices for food and commodities will continue too. What would then follow is a request for more money, i.e.salaries to increase to keep up with the cost of living and possible strike action. This is the turning point where a simpler life is no longer a voluntary option for many but one that is being forced upon people as a result of a changing global economy. I predict irrational behaviour as people begin to realise that they cannot have what they want instantly, they may have to wait as supplies and resources become scarce. The quest for fuel seems to be a primary focus based on the fact that fuel and oil availability will reduce in years to come. The laws of economy then mean that when a product becomes scarce, the price will go up. Thus if for instance rice is no longer exported by countries because they need it for their own use, the price of rice rises as its availability decreases.

A proactive approach is to look at alternatives and ways to maximise current opportunities :

• For shelter - check what you can do to minimise the costs of your accommodation.
• For food : plan what you eat, diversify ingredients, take lunch to work and buy some staples ahead of time.
• For warmth : the cost of fuel will rise the nearer we get to winter so now is a good time to invest in filling your oil tank, building a log store for a wood burning stove and saving as much as you can on energy costs. What you save now you can use when you really need it.

Most papers will be full of tips on how to save money and short term savings can be made by cutting down on what is bought new, long term savings can be made by being focused on what you will need in the future and finding the right time to purchase that item. If you made assumptions about a budget at the beginning of the year it may need to be reassessed to take into account price rises.


As a sustainable business, we want to keep our prices competitive which has been successful in particular in the fresh produce section of the shop. Ice cream consumption is low due to inclement weather and chocolate consumption is up. Soup is in demand although this is completely unseasonal.

Life as we knew it is about to change.

the road less travelled

Travellers at a Crossroads in a Wooded Landscape


Today is a new day with no mistakes in it

Anne of Greengables

Dear reader,

Yesterday's post had an impact not least on our family. Having written down my thoughts and feelings about the reality as I perceive it, today is a new fresh day which enables us either to engage with the process of change or to switch off from it entirely.

The first step is to acknowledge that in this moment in time, this very moment, we are OK, we have all we need and want to a certain extent. That is unlikely to drastically change in the UK overnight. I believe that the UK is well placed as a green and pleasant land, to weather an increase in temperature by 2 degrees and at the same time, I realise that places on the globe that are already hot will find an increase in temperature challenging.

In the face of fear of the unknown, we can pack a small backpack which contains knowledge, skills and presence of mind to deal with whatever happens to come our way. It would be easy to get depressed about the whole situation or to simply ask yourself why you should bother if your alter ego at the other end of the globe cannot wait to buy the first car, travel the world and enjoy everything just as we have done. We all have choices and I guess what I am doing is making a voluntary choice here to simplify my needs and wants to what is an acceptable level. What is acceptable is also personal but to me it means living locally, shopping locally, creating a handmade life, more in tune with the natural rhytm of life.

Do I know a lot about it? No, its a journey of discovery but I know that many of the skills necessary to live such a life have been eroded from our generation. With it the joy of living has also disappeared to a certain extent and I am travelling on a parallel road.

I think the poem by Robert Frost (1874–1963) gives a good indication of the way I am heading.

Mountain Interval. 1920.

The Road Not Taken


TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

A cosy little home

As the weather is colder again, I am reminded of a cosy little home. The little home we dream of, a place you can call your own.

Cob is a way to use natural materials to sculpt a home that is curvy, sustainable and many cottages that are much loved in the West Country were made like this. Our shop is made of stone walls and cob and no wall is angular. A wooden structure with beams creates a supportive framework and the cob is then sculpted into shape.

A few examples

International Downshifting week - 19th April - 26th April 2008

International Downshifting week starts today.

"If you are looking for a little help to slow down your pace and enjoy life more, this is the place for you!

Tracey Smith's campaign was formerly known as 'National' Downshifting Week. This year, as a result of the strong support they have received from around the globe asking if other countries can officially 'join in', they have simply decided to rename it
'InterNational Downshifting Week'!

For more information and tips to start your downshifting week, check out the website.

Living with acceptance

Words to Live By: Truth

Acceptance is the first step in the process of change; you need to accept what is happening now, embrace the moment and stay open to possibilities.

Many of us fight acceptance and are practised at avoiding reality or denying that anything is wrong. If you were brought up with a message that everything was never good enough then it seems to follow that you would be striving for an ideal that is in some way unattainable.

On the issue of climate change we can have a variety of reactions : there are those who claim that it is not happening, there are others who accept on some level that it is happening but it is nothing to do with them ( it has an effect in other parts of the globe but I am all right thanks), and there are others who say that there is nothing personally they can do about it, that it is too late, too hard, not necessary............

Personally Chronic Fatigue Syndrome leaves me with tense muscles, so tense that they feel taut and at breaking point. In the beginning I ignored it and continued anyway on the principle that there were no other options but to continue. ( denial). Then I could accept it on some level but still did not want to rest....there is so much to do, I must, I have to. After mindful breathing, living in the moment with gratitude, came acceptance. It did not just arrive but fighting a condition that I did not want to have, that was controversial and apparently all in the mind, not being able to function, flat out on the bed I had to finally accept that something was wrong, that I had no idea what it was and that others too did not necessarily know what it was either. At that point I became grateful for every moment; I voiced every moment that I was OK, and started managing change in very small steps.

The same can be said about climate change. If we can accept at some level that it is happening then we can open ourselves to the possibilities for change that it offers. By working from home and as the family start a sustainable business, I am acknowledging that it is happening, I am responding to the fact that working without a commute and a car is a possibility and not commuting eventually results in change ( for the planet and for my pocket too).

Enquiring within a given moment is a necessary step to look at what we are afraid of and what is true for us. Not accepting climate change and denying that it is happening shows us that we are afraid of the unknown, a different future we will have less control over and then again if we do not take action now, it will spiral out of control and fulfill the exact fear we have.

A different reaction could be that we accept that there are signs all around us that climate change is a reality and without criticism or pointing the finger at others, we can enquire within as to what our true contributions to the problem are and what solutions and possibilities we feel able to action.

I do believe that as a single human being a small action however minimal may not show up instant results but if you in any way doubt the power of one action, remind yourself the impact of spending time with a mosquito in the room.

Loving what is is a brilliant book by Katie Byron, if we love what is, if we accept what truly is the reality instead of denying it is happening and facing our fears head on, it does open up possibilities for action and following that action is change and a pathway to freedom.

Then another moment offers itself in your life which you can view with mindfulness, gratitude and acceptance and live with truth.

Living in the moment continues with letting go of expectations.

Kindest haircut

Hairdo and Eyebrows
What with having no time away from the business and home, the boys in the house started looking a little like neanderthal men, bushy hairdos and I was looking to go in a similar way. The actual organisation needed to get everyone a haircut in their usual way would have been as follows :

• 2 car trips to the town at 15 miles each return with boys that do not want their hair cut
• at least 3 hours for my hair to be done ( all part of the experience)
• one teenager who wants a designer cut.

I must say that getting our hair done was beginning to be a matter of discussion. Either we would just have to grow it and be done with it, or to look a bit tidy look at a different solution.

And then, I discovered a Mum at school who told me; you must see Mrs Jones. Who is Mrs Jones and how did I get in touch with her?

Mrs Jones came to our house, managed 3 difficult boys with differing hairstyle requirements, put a large sheet of fabric on the floor, drank a couple of cups of tea, talked to us and got my men to look a bit more human. I had my hair cut and for the first time in married life my man noticed it had been done!( probably because it was done in front of his eyes, now that is a strange experience; you do not usually get comments from the mirror!)

At the end of the evening, she took the sheet of fabric and emptied the hairy contents into the compost bin.

I did miss the lovely salon experience but Mrs Jones has invited me to her home next time for a bit longer consultation where she assures me she can serve me a Latte and give me some magazines if that makes the transition smoother.

I do not want to put hairdressers out of business but I am pleased to say that it is possible to look OK with a local haircut which ended up being cheaper, local and a lot more environmentally friendly.

I can only say, go find a Mrs Jones in your locality...... unless you want the salon experience and all that goes with it as well as a silent mirror. Mrs Jones has promised me an Indian Head masage and I am sold. Her house is within walking distance even for me.

As with any hairdresser, an appointment has been set up for 6 weeks time. There will be no drama announcing the haircut, it will simply happen in our home. What a discovery and a relief.

At the edge......

Part of living locally is to explore the events that are held within a 5 mile radius from home. Living in the shop we are ideally placed to find out about local entertainment. So it was that a few weeks ago I bought a ticket to go and see the Devils Violin, an evening of storytelling and roma gypsy music. I love both stories and music and it seemed like a different, ancient sort of entertainment. I envisaged people sitting around a fire in their cottages and listening to stories in the past. A life without TV, playstations and the like.

4 of us ventured out together along the country lanes, wind and rain beating down on us ( well the car that took us), and we were absolutely not prepared for what awaited us.

Daniel Morden's stories are captivating, told with such descriptive language and energy, we were literally transported to an audible, visual feast and the music that accompanied his stories were the best musical sound effects you could listen to. At times, the music was spine chilling as were some parts of the stories. Add to that some good company, a glass of wine and ......just the ticket for a local evening out in the dead of winter.

You can get a flavour of what we experienced yesterday by listening to an extract or better check whether Daniel Morden is coming to a village hall near you. Don't miss is.....

Storytelling evenings were part of daily life in the countryside and were told not only as forms of entertainment but to impart history and to engage the listener in many a human dilemma imparting both knowledge and advice. The fact that it is a story means that as listener you can either engage with it as a story or it may even trigger larger human responses in you. Thus is the magic of a story. Transport yourself to another place with storytelling, better than a computer in my mind anyway.


If you are interested in storytelling events, details can be found on the storytelling website.

Some welcome wiggly news....

What a fantastic moral boost after the budget post to receive the new Wiggly Wigglers catalogue today in the post entitled ' a fork full of country', the first social media catalogue of the century.

OK, hands up, I am talking about it not only because I love what Wiggly Wigglers stand for, the people behind it and the products it holds, and the authentic way they do business but because ( pss I am in it as a Wiggly Person'). I got soo excited when it came through the door , carried in by our local postman. I was busy delving into the stockroom but yelled. Roger came out to see what was the matter fearing I had fallen over ( that happens regularly when my brain has a funny moment), but no, he was not reassured seeing my smile, my genuine excitement at what was in the catalogue. ( I do not get excited about catalogues in the post on a regular basis but this one has been the longest time awaiting a historic event since I was pregnant and waiting for the delivery of a small bundle of joy.)

So, we opened it, I got a rush of the blushes and went suddenly shy. Roger read it and then could not stop telling people ' ask her about Wiggly Wigglers! with a smirk on his face! So now, there is a rush in the shop of people asking to see the catalogue, read it, and hopefully by word of mouth we will spread some good news, some news that will tickle the farmer in you and allow us to throw some wellies in celebration.

What could be so different about the catalogue :

The new mail order catalogue ' A forkful of country' due on doorsteps in March, was built with contributions from customers and friends around the world using social media. Building on their base of composting and wildlife gardening products, Heather Gorringe ( a Nuffield Scholar) and her team wanted to broaden their reach in terms of products and customers. Not content with traditional market research, Heather turned to Social Media to engage customers and others she met on her study and speaking tours around the world. Many of the ideas for new products and much of the content was built using a wiki ( i.e. server software used to freely create and edit web content using any web browser). Anyone with a password would have their say from Australia to the States to deepest South Wales. The resulting array of products includes everything from the traditional, sturdy garden spades, instant vegetable gardens, eco cleaning products, herb based lotions to chicken houses and peg bags. The new catalogue is presented in a scrap-book style, packed full of clippings, quotes, family snaps as well as the more traditional professional photography and product descriptions. You finish reading and you want a piece of this thing called Wiggly Wigglers. Businesses struggling with the concept of an authentic voice need to take a leaf out of this groundbreaking catalogue.

Here is the difficult bit though, I guess the server will be inundated with requests so if you cannot wiggle one online, you may have to give them a call by phoning 01981 500391. I promise you, you will not be disappointed. Its fully recyclable when you have read it, but I would say, reuse it again and again, share it with others and keep it on the bookshelf. It will be a collectors item.

With a new spring in my step, a smile on my face and inspired by Wiggly Wigglers, I am putting the wellies on. I am off to the garden to make my dream become a reality. With a little help from my wiggly friends......Be inspired, be very inspired......

Oh and pass it on please......

Earthlab carbon footprint calculator

MY SCORE 235 6.3
UNITED KINGDOM 303 11.4
UNITED STATES 353 15.2
WORLD 338 14


Thanks for the comment and link to earthlab. I tried their carbon calculator and the above shows my personal carbon footprint. I know that cutting carbon emissions is reasonable and possible with a personal commitment to it and although the government seems to want the same, its actions are still the direct opposite.

The whole world is dominated and geared towards mobility from one place to another. Although the message about local shopping is beginning to hit home, we still need to consider the wider community and its impact. Local shopping not just for goods but using local people and tradesmen for their services.

In my area 6 post offices are closing; two of them will be replaced by a mobile service ( a van in a car park).This means that people who currently use a local post office withing 3 miles from their home are going to need to make extra effort to access one. Post offices do not just send parcels; you can bank with them, save with them, pay your bills there and meet a person. Customers often ask me; does the ATM work here and my answer is to offer them a choice: they can use the machine or they can speak with a person. Mostly they choose the person. If the government in an effort to cut costs continue to close post offices and small local schools, people will continue to choose their cars or other modes of transport to access these services. In any event, they will be using fuel or electricity to access basic services, With the price of fuel, electricity and gas going up this seems more like punishing people than encouraging them to make different choices.

For example, if you car needs its annual inspection and you usually use a garage 15 miles away, you might well take you car in, do some shopping and then collect it at the end of the day. Alternative would be to look at a small garage nearby ( who is also authorised to do this annual check), take the car, walk home or ask them to drive you home. You will not only have saved fuel, time and opportunity to consume but you have provided work and remuneration for a local person. The outcome should be the same and may even be lighter on your pocket. I just never thought about it before because out of habit I continued to use the garage I had always used even though my transport requirements had changed.

That is of course if you have a car. As mentioned previously, I may not drive my car but there it is, still needing maintenance checks, regular controls etc until I take the next step. Disposing of a car also has implications.

Conversations with Downshiftingpath

Rich Pickings ...

a selection of post...

By Anne Howe

Book Preview

In creating a personal present to my family and friends, as well as a tool to create a memory of the place we live in, I have created a book with a collection of posts from this blog. I am edging towards the 500th post and that too seems a landmark achievement.

It started with an idea from the PodcastSisters and via Blurb I created a book which has about 200 pages and a variety of photos. It also includes some material that was posted on Angora's Journal.

The cost of the book is the cost charged by Blurb for publishing it and sending it to you. Making it public made me feel very nervous and excited at the same time. The books arrived today, and I am pleased with the end result.

The last 3 years have been a very difficult period in my life and I realise that that has not always shown through in these posts. Downshifting requires engagement on all levels and being able to respond and make an active choice is a very challenging process. I am beginning to be more comfortable with the idea of sharing the reality of that with you, the reader and in doing so, I would like to invite you to engage with me too by leaving comments if you can.

tulips

Purple Tulips

The indications are that by 2015 small businesses will have ceased to exist as we know them, that large supermarkets and corporations will have the upper hand. We are at a turning point. Do we engage with the picture that evolves or do we continue along the path feeling powerless and watch as choices diminish. Personally we are about to take a leap of faith......and swim up the creek against the trend.

We plan our lives according to a dream that came to us in our childhood, and we find that life alters our plans. And yet, at the end, from a rare height, we also see that our dream was our fate. It’s just that providence had other ideas as to how we would get there. Destiny plans a different route, or turns the dream around, as if it were a riddle, and fulfills the dream in ways we couldn’t have expected.” ~ Ben Okri

So this weekend, I have cleared the polytunnel of its last tomatoes, the boys planted out a full border of lupins that will greet others in the spring and potted up some plants that have meaning and that I want to take with me to the smaller garden.

Autumn is a season that enables us to shed our leaves as trees and to plant seeds and bulbs that will bring us hope in springtime with the promise of renewal and the newness of life. Its a time when nature shuts the door on warmth, we all retreat to our safe homes or nests and snuggle down either to slumber for winter not to wake up until spring, or to face the cold weather. Its a time to look at what has gone well, what has not gone so well and what we hope to start with next year.

Celebrate.........all your achievements....... and plant seeds for spring. My favourites are sweetpeas and tulips.

It is time.......for change. We are getting ready to exchange contracts on our sale and purchase and are feeling a little scared at the thought of leaving a cosy existence and leap into a new venture. Will we survive? Probably but to what degree will it be successful. To answer that question you must figure out what success means to you and that answer will be different for all of us.

Our world is about to become very local and we will be sharing the realities of that existence with you as we go along. Next week we plan a last trip to purchase essentials, do some more market research and by the end of November we hope to have settled ready for the next chapter.