It's been a year...

tattercoats · Post by **tattercoats** » 18 Mar 2006, 10:24

...or about a year since I stumbled across Powerswitch, arriving here via LATOC, Wolf at the Door, and others.

I thought I'd take stock and have a look to see what's changed in my and my family's lifestyle. Besides, I've missed the hearth-and-home-preparation aspect of the forum lately.

First, we moved house, from the city to a (large) village - nearer to the workplace so we immediately sold one of the cars. Main commute now done by bike, or on foot. Car sits unused four or five days of the week, mileage is low, except for long family trips - and those are down in regularity.

There's a veg patch in the garden (hey! There's a *garden*!) with the first things planted - jerusalem artichokes. Waiting for the frosts to stop before putting much else in.

We've acquired four apple trees and a hop plant, all useful things, and pretty muhc all the herb plants I've acquired have lived.

I stick things in water on the kitchen window sill and sometimes they sprout; hey, new plants!

There's usually a dish of seeds on the windowsill too, drying out from whatever vegetable I last harvested them from - esp. the organic vegbox.

We have many water butts, and they're full. Both toilets have flush savers in place. The kitchen tap has a jug for catching the warm-up water too, and I use the hot water bottle water for anything I can.

I walk more, so do my children. Eldest walks to and from school, and home again at lunchtime, because he knows there will be fruit and veg here as opposed to highfat/highsalt pap at school.

We have a woodshed full of wood and a fireplace to use it on - and a firejack for hanging the cooking pot over the fire. (OK, don't have appropriate pot yet.)

I buy local as much as possible, and am planning on joining the WI country market scheme - don't laugh - making baked goods, maybe hummus and passata and so on. I'll be able to trade the surplus from my garden (looking ahead!)

All my new village friends know that I'm into green/self-suff/garden/energy saving stuff, and they know why - and I've started having pals round for handicraft and chat, which enables them to see and hear more of what I'm about.

I made a list of winter preparations, and filled it - all eight checked off. We have bikes. We have boots. We have wind-up radio and solar torch. We have firestarter and water purtifying stuff. We even kept the bubblewrap from the move, and I know some of what it's going to get used for.

My partner knows about PO and supports my efforts, though I'm the driving force. Eldest (14) knows too, and has joined the Green Team at school. He's accepted it, I think, and enjoys the prep as well. Youngest will grow up in a family where it's talked about quite freely, so she'll pick it up, along with gardening and cooking and not wasting stuff.

We've come a long way. I've set aside various things which Ithought would be part of my life over the next couple of decades, and there's been some sadness, but otherwise, I think we've wrenched ourselves into a better lifestyle. Of course it's not just PO; CC, what used to be called nature conesrvation, money saving, handicrafting and other issues and factors all come into it, but hey - it's all related.

A year ago I said to my partner that fuel prices were set to rise and there would be supply difficulties down the line, so we took steps to reduce our oil-dependence. Then oil prices rocketed, then came hurrican season, then came a cold winter. It's now accepted in the family that what I find here and other places tells me what the news *will* be in three or six months' time. Oracles a speciality.

And nobody believed Cassandra at all.

Tattercoats

snow hope · Post by **snow hope** » 18 Mar 2006, 16:17

Congratulations to you Tattercoats - I think you have done a brilliant job.

grinu · Post by **grinu** » 18 Mar 2006, 22:50

Sounds like you're doing all the right things, well done.

We're not quite that far along because we're planning to move within the next 2yrs, but here goes....

In 7months....

Cleared 3k of credit card debt and overdraft. Only debt is now student loans, which I'm over paying and due to complete this yr, and a mortgage (putting house on market this month).

I've changed my local authority job from one based in regeneration, to one based in heritage and conservation, although my line of work (Landscape Architecture) means I need a car for it. Also, my new job is within 10miles of my fiance's job, so we can now both live within a short commute (she's been driving 45min a day). Have also ensured my new job will heavily involve contributing to "sustainability" (don't like using that word) of the county through production of e.g. green design guide to inform planning, green procurement guide etc. etc.

Only have a yard at present, but have pots with a plum tree, gooseberry bushes, black currants, tons of herbs, etc. etc. Waterbutt to collect roofwater for watering all the pots. Compost all veg waste and use in pots. Recycle/re-use most other waste (although have a supply of about 50 jars we don't know what to do with but are convinced will come in handy some day).

Don't have gas central heating - rely on a couple of energy efficient electric radiators and a gas fire - costs approx ?450 a yr or so. We wrap up instead of baking ourselves in winter.

Buy most food locally (farm which delivers). 95% organic, 95% from independant local traders. Rarely go to supermarket.

Have a 2 week supply of food and water for the two of us, kinetic torch, busy amassing a valuable book collection, won't go into all the supplies but pretty well placed.

Are both in the middle of a permaculture design course, which should be able to supplement our landscape & ecology quals.

Will be selling our house this month and will start renting nearer to workplaces.

2yr plan is to move over to Ireland, where I have family and friends and where my other half is from, so we don't want to amass too much yet.

Have sent numerous letters to Margarett Beckett, Alan Milburn (MP), Alun Johnson (DTI) and have got a bit of a 3 way dialogue going on (various cc's in various letters) which must be doing some good.

Have made a lot of people aware of issue but not as many as I want - difficult to get people to take it seriously, particularly parents, who acknoweldge that oil is peaking ("they always said 2000, so it's a bit later than we'd thought") but fail to acnowledge the implications no matter how much I try to drum it into them.

So, getting there in a roundabout way.

SherryMayo · Post by **SherryMayo** » 20 Mar 2006, 16:39

I've been missing the home & hearth posts too - though tattercoats post has left me rather sheepish about my own modest achievements

I'm getting a little better each year at the veg patch though it is currently a riot of autumn pumpkins (many of them volunteers) which I'm leaving to do their thing - looks like I should get a fair crop but they are making it hard to dig up my spuds without damaging them! Also persuaded my other half to refit the irrigation so we can take the veggie plot water from a rainwater tank.

I've got better at composting which is really important here as the soil is sandy and poor - makes me dream longingly of my old riverbank allotment in Oxford and its rich floodplain soil - veggies grew with minimum effort there.

We've planted quite a few fruit and nut trees and got our first bunches of grapes this year (climate here is rather like France - frosts very rare - which widens our choices a bit).

At the tender age of 37 I've learnt to bake non-leaden bread (thanks to advice from RogerCO and others) which has made me rather chuffed, and have also learnt to knit square/rectangular things (all I need now is some rectangular people)!

I'm pretty lucky in that we already live reasonably close to work, shops and schools but I'm still having trouble weaning myself off the car - at least we are car-pooling to take the kids to school and I'm biking to work sometimes.

I've got involved with a community action group - not directly connected with PO but more about building community and preventing developers from building on every spare scrap of land around here! We've 'inherited' a community hall and hopefully good things will flow from that.

My other activities are not really home and hearth - been doing submissions for a senate inquiry here - I hope something good comes of it.

BTW Tattercoats I think you may come to regret the jerusalem artichokes - well at least I came to regret mine! They are a bit like triffids when they get going and are a bugger to get rid of - on the plus side they are really reliable and heavy cropping - they taste good too (well I like them) but artichoke soup does lead to major farting!

Q for tattercoats: is the song in your .sig available on CD? I got one Talis Kimberley CD (which was great) but haven't come across one with "Kitchen Heroes" on it.

tattercoats · Post by **tattercoats** » 21 Mar 2006, 09:52

Thanks, Snow; hey, Sherry & Grinu. Good to have company along the way.

Tattercoats

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 21 Mar 2006, 16:14

Have also ensured my new job will heavily involve contributing to "sustainability" (don't like using that word)

I know what you mean . . . I work as a "Sustainability Officer" for a local authority.

In conversation, just try replacing the word "sustainability" with the word "survival". It helps to focus the mind of the person you're talking to a bit better - and after all, what does "sustainability" actually mean?

Ballard · Post by **Ballard** » 21 Mar 2006, 17:40

umm.

"Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs."

or something.

Post by **mikepepler** » 21 Mar 2006, 19:03

Ballard wrote:"Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs."

That's the one. I think it means that either you assume the "future generations" will be able to recycle everything and live off renewable power, or else you use absolutely nothing now.

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 23 Mar 2006, 10:29

Ballard wrote:
"Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs."

That's the one. I think it means that either you assume the "future generations" will be able to recycle everything and live off renewable power, or else you use absolutely nothing now.

Lol

Yes, that's the UN definition of SD. I have to write a SD strategy for the Local Authority I work for. For that purpose, I've made up my own definition of SD:-

?Sustainable Development is the guided development of both the human habitat and its supporting natural systems to ensure the maximum quality of life achievable from an indefinitely renewable resource base.?

Not much better really, but I'm trying to stress the holistic approach to the issue. I suppose the best definition of all would be,

"Sustainable Development is the ability to keep on developing and not die out like the dinosaurs"

RogerCO · Post by **RogerCO** » 23 Mar 2006, 13:51

Andy Hunt wrote:"Sustainable Development is the ability to keep on developing and not die out like the dinosaurs"

Why make it iterative like that - sustainable devlopment doesn't have to mean you keep on a development treadmill.

"Sustainable Development allows the individual and society to continue to be" ?

"Sustainability means your actions can be repeated in the future" ?

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 23 Mar 2006, 13:56

Andy Hunt wrote:
"Sustainable Development is the ability to keep on developing and not die out like the dinosaurs"

Why make it iterative like that - sustainable devlopment doesn't have to mean you keep on a development treadmill.

"Sustainable Development allows the individual and society to continue to be" ?

"Sustainability means your actions can be repeated in the future" ?

A very good point . . . how about,

"Sustainability means the ability to continue"

AllanH · Post by **AllanH** » 30 Mar 2006, 14:06

Well done Tattercoats, grinu & SherryMayo, you're all doing better than me.

I'm still wallowing in debt but paying it off as quickly as possible, short of a premium bond win there isn't much more I can do about it.
Garden is all ready for major planting this weekend (weather permitting) & wee greenhouse/polythene sheeting shelves are geting fixed up too. I've already got the compost heap going well & everything that can goes in there. No fruit trees, not sure if I've got room for them but its something to consider for next year.

I got the water but delivered yesterday so I'll set it up & be able to water the garden without wasting more water, I've also stolen tattercoats idea of filling up bottles from the warming up sink water & using it for the garden/cooking - it saves a lot of water. I've got ecoballs to avoid use of dishwasher powder & save on all the water wasted in rinse cycles.

I've got the loft insulated but am still stuck with gas heating & probably won't be changing it, though I'm waiting till the new solar panel grant levels are announced to see about getting a panel for heating water.

Unfortunately I'm still a supermarket user & don't eat organic/buy local much though i'd like to - just can't afford it. I am baking my own bread though & trying to cut down, further, on bought pre-made things I can do/make myself (getting hand turned sewing machine delivered soon so I can mend my clothes). I save up packaging, etc I can re-use & always look in skips I see for anything I can re-use/recycle - got a pair of shears, chopping board & breadbin & about a million plant pots the other day (& a big stone sink I would've used for a herb garden if I'd've been able to move it).

I get the train & walk to work/shops though thats not really a peak oil influenced decision I just prefer to walk anyway.

Like most here I'm gradually acquiring a range of books on self sustainability/survival, etc & I've stocked up with camping stove & gas, candles, lantern, water filter, wind up radio, about 60 litres of water in 2l cola bottles & tinned food, etc

AllanH

grinu · Post by **grinu** » 01 Apr 2006, 08:08

Allan you'd be surprised - if you buy your fruit and veg at a local grocer or market, they're way cheaper than at supermarkets! Our fruit n veg from the supermarket used to cost 15-20 quid, from the local market it's more like a tenner, if we go organic it's 27/28ish, which admittedly is pretty steep.

We do eat a lot tho!!

It's great to see what other people are doing. Very constructive.

AllanH · Post by **AllanH** » 04 Apr 2006, 13:20

I do buy fruit at a local fruit & veg seller but his stuff isn't organic or local, it's just the same as the Tesco stuff flown from South Africa, though I can get a bowl of about a dozen apples for ?1 which is good.

Allan

Pippa · Post by **Pippa** » 27 Apr 2006, 11:47

Congratulations on what you have achieved. Somehow or other when it comes down to doing something the subject leaves me feeling like I am at a hugely complex crossroads. I am 6 months into my PO conversion and I suspect, like many others, feel pretty isolated within my family and friends (which in itself is very hard to deal with - I am used to their support). Anyhow, I have made some progress. I am waiting to hear whether my son has been accepted at a local school (at the moment I am driving him 30 miles to school and back!), paid off 1/3 of our ?150,000 mortgage (I seem unable to convince anyone that this is a huge debt even though just 8 years ago at our previous house ?40,000 seemed impossibly large). We have decided for now not to sell our disgustingly un-pc landrover discovery, it won't harm the environment if we don't drive it anywhere (will it). We have got an allotment and are growing our first year seeds. I do a daily electricity monitor and have managed to reduce our daily electricity consumption by 15KW although we still consume about 25KW a day (I understand that you can get an average of 3KW a day from a solar panel set up in the UK). Sadly for our life style we have consumed that 3KW at the moment by about 8.30 a.m - so much for self sufficiency at present.

I dream of composting toilets (well not literally). However, as I run a B & B I haven't quite the courage to install them yet. I have reduced food shopping trips in town to about once every three weeks so its a good job we all like tomato pasta! (I 've always hated food shopping anyway).

I have two window boxes either side of our front door and am planting them with edible things this spring. I plan to put a discreet permaculture sticker in our front window so with any luck this will be a gentle introduction to energy and resouce discussions with my guests this year.

We have a pretty big roof but no real garden. I know that we could collect a decent amount of rainwater - but where to put the tank is another problem (and convincing my husband).

I have a horse and pony and am currently teaching them (and me) the basics for driving (so I will be able to drive a carriage and get them pulling ploughs - goodness .... is it really going to turn out like this.... I do struggle with the potential realities of all this, anyway for the timebeing this is fun).

I have dusted off the saxaphone from the attic and am fanatically practicing to become competent (at least I should be able to enjoy music when the stereo goes off - although currently I think my family wish the saxaphone would go off - well it is pretty loud!")

I am starting to hoard.

Next on the agenda, new old skills I think.

Has anyone else managed to concentrate on learning new "old" skills?

PowerSwitch

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