Monday 25 June 2007

Home Front

Four Corners - Home Front - Jonathan Holmes explores practical ways for energy-guzzling Australians to cut their power consumption.

Four Corners has always been in my opinion one of the newsmakers....I wonder what impact this story will have on the average Australian or on our Government policies. Will people start listening, will they look at he energy efficiency of their new flat-screen TV before they purchase it? It needs to be driven by government to make it work, the Californian model was very interesting to see.
Just one quote:
"JONATHAN HOLMES: It's hard to avoid the conclusion that on policing the MEPS system, as in so many other areas of greenhouse policy, the Federal Government reacts - to industry, or media, or public pressure - rather than setting a pro-active policy."

Okay, now that I have that off my chest...what did I get up to today? I cooked, cleaned and washed and even shock horror ironed!! In case you didn't know, I hate ironing. It is one of my least favourite chores. I try to avoid buying clothes that need ironing.

I also had a bit of reality check. I made a phone call to Planning SA to enquire about the costs/processes involved in sub-diving my block. A lot of it seems to be happening in my area and as it stands no-one really uses my back yard. Just the government fees on the transaction are around the $5k mark...that doesn't include your own surveyors fees or the registration fees on the change of title, plus any additions/alterations to your property required by your council + SA waters charges to re-do the plumbing for a second allotment. Looks like I won't be moving on that plan for quite a few more years. So be it.
take care of you.

Sunday 24 June 2007

Yoga & Birthing

In case I haven't already posted it here, my best friend Cathy is having a baby. She is now 32 weeks!
As she is doing it all alone I offered to be one of her "birth helpers". Her sister Theresa is the other one. Today we went to an allday workshop at a Yoga studio in Glenelg. It was a long and informative day, but after sitting all day on the floor, blankets or a bolster my back is aching! Really need to work on those pelvic floor muscles methinks! I'm too tired to make a more constructive post so bed and sleep it is for me!
take care of you.

Saturday 23 June 2007

Baking


Today was quite productive. I made a batch of yummy Bacon, Cheese and Zucchini muffins; these are to take to a shared lunch tomorrow. Then I deciced while the oven was on to make a couple of banana cakes (also to use up some "has been" bananas and the cheap ones I had picked up, while out shopping this morning).
The\muffins are already in the freezer but I remembered to photgraph the cakes before they were indivually wrapped (in waxed paper) and frozen (ready to go straight into lunchboxes).


Not sure I have mentioned before either that my son has behavioural problems, caused by many of the food additives that we find in most packaged goods today. Sue Dengate is an inspiration to me. I have two of her books and by removing all the additives, preservatives and colourings (most of the numbers on packaged foods) from my sons "diet" ...I have just an average boy, that I love to bits :)
take care of you.

ENOUGH!

I have spent the last few weeks "lurking" and reading a lot of "eco/green" blogs. I have started thinking about the way we live our lives and our impact that it is having on our planet. Funnily enough at the start of 2007, inspired by a scrapbooker (Ali Edwards) - in her Ezine she challenged everyone to come up with "one little word" and she posed the question "Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2007?"...the word I chose was ENOUGH...which was applying to the amount of "stuff" I was accumulating, particularly scrapping stuff!

But as things have changed this year I have been slowly applying it to other areas in my life:

- looking at what I spend money on and making myself really decide if I need it
- trying to use what I have or buy second hand goods where available
- getting back into baking and freezing foods as well as making double batches of meals I can freeze
- decluttering 15 minutes at a time (using Fly lady as inspiration)
- growing my own "greens" to use in salads and cooking (only started that this month)

I'm sure I'll think of more things later....suffice to say I have enough stuff in my life and I intend to use it.
A few people who are helping to inspire me are Rhonda , NoImpactMan and Vanessa. As I get better at doing this and learn how to make my page groovier I'll start up a faves list!
take care of you.