Downshifting Life

Where do I begin???? Well life is certainly a journey and thankfully so! Going from the standard conventional American to a sort of Nouveau Bohemian has been a long slow process. What I thought was healthy, right and environmentally sound six years ago compared to two years ago compared to today are all entirely different. Which automatically leads me to wonder how I will feel and think three years from now, and even twenty years from now.

So where does that leave me? Well we gave up our cell phones a while back, and haven't regretted it for a second. We stopped letting Thomas watch TV, and that has been great. But we are still distracted by it. And cant you tell how distracted I am by the Internet? I am and so is Pat! We would rather surf the Internet or watch TV then engage in one another. If one of us is playing with Thomas the other is devising a way to sneak off and grab a few moments online.

Television and Internet are our two biggest distractions from life. But there are others as well. Or even just every day tasks that could unite us but don't because "we" have created ways to quicken and ultimately remove ourselves from the actual task. Just like food, but I shouldn't even get started on that topic! You know the whole idea about how far removed we are from our food sources and how eating chicken is just like eating air for the simple fact that we give no thought to where it came from, how it lived and was treated and so on and so on... But this isn't so much about that topic so I will stop now. For your sake (your welcome, lol.)

We will be moving into our new house in the next week. With this move comes a great opportunity to try and implement some more new ways of life. I just think the move will help make this all happen a lot smoother, especially for our little guy. So here is what downshifting life is going to be looking like for us. This list includes some things we already do but need to do better, and of course brand new things as well (in no particular order.)Also the list puts me between a rock and a hard place in some instances because while I would love to live with zero consumption (aside from food) some of the items require- consumption! I am sure I can find ways to work this. And part of it is not to drive myself or my family crazy in the process but just start doing more, simply because that is the stage we are at! Tell me what you think... (Oh and if your wondering how we will communicate with out the Internet, I have a plan for that as well. Pat and I each get a day once a week or when ever we feel like a break and can go ALONE to the library and steal some Internet time.)

Onto the list, and (x) means we do it but can do more. (?) means I wonder if we can do it! And well you get the point- now onto the show! Enjoy...

No cable
No Internet
No cell phones (x)
No blow dryers (x)
No dishwasher (?)
Hang dry clothes (?)
No alarm clocks (x)
No video games (x)
One car (?)
No processed foods (?)
Composting (x) (with worms!)
Recycling (x)
Reading books (To Thomas yes, me some and Pat none)
Eat Local (some-hardly enough though)
Grind own flour
Make bread weekly
Make sour dough starter and stick with it
Edible gardening (ugg, try as I might nothing ever seems to grow or work out)
Sew
USA made only (x) (but we need to be firm this year)
Donate, donate, donate (x)
Organic clothing
Organic wool mattresses (but how can I do this if we aren't suppose to consume?)
Meditate
Make a quilt
Write more
House plants to remove toxins
Make yogurt
Less junk mail
Find alternatives to prepackaged items
Homemade shampoo (x) (need something better then the baking soda method)
Homemade laundry soap (x) (did this and need to get back into it)
Veggie bags (instead of plastic) (X) (I only have two)
Reusable grocery bags (x)
Kerosene lamps (we go without lights during the day, could we at night?)
Buy second hand items (x)
Sugar (I am always looking for alternatives but: is it really possible...is it even right!?!)

I have been formulating my lists and ideas about this for quit some time. Yesterday I saw this DVD for sale called No Impact Man. I went home a rented it from Blockbuster. Its a documentary about a man and his family who go a year trying to make no impact on the earth. While not making an impact wasn't my initial reason for doing this it certainly plays its part, and ultimately comes together in the big circle of things. Here is a link to his blog http: http://noimpactman.typepad.com/ You will find his book and DVD information there as well all other new No Impact Man thoughts, tips and ideas.

Some of this came to me from the ideals of the Slow Food Movement. Which is basically the idea that we need to slow down and create meals from scratch with love and integrity for our families and our communities. Then it dawned on me why should this idea only be about food. Why not be the basis of how our families are ran and our lives our lived-all encompassing!

Here is one more link, this time to a short video (20 Min's.) Its called The Story Of Stuff: http://www.storyofstuff.com/ If you ever scratch your head and wonder why we are such a buy, buy, buy society and wonder all the where, when, why and hows about the stuff we buy this is a great video to watch.

I never want to come across judgemental-as I certainly have no reason to be. So I figure we all need to just DO what we can and be satisfied, happy and always in a constant move forward, to be better, to be at the next stage... Whats the next stage for you?