Tree Hugger

Inspired by Sara’s (Walk Slowly, Live Wildly) tree hugger post I have decided it is time to come out to myself and to the world. I am a tree hugger. OK, maybe not in a radical, majorly alternative way, but by the standards set by the culture I grew up in, I am definitely on the “crazy greeny” side of life.

Here’s what I am already doing that would put me in the Tree Hugger box…

Recycling. We are lucky to have kerbside recycling here so all paper, plastic and glass gets recycled.

Gardening. A few years ago you wouldn’t have cought me anywhere near a garden but I;ve really caught the vege gardening bug. I love going outside and grabbing herbs or carrots or a lettuce for lunch.

Worm farm. Alongside the garden I have set up a worm farm to use our organic waste and provide goodies for the garden. Unfortunately it is still small and doesn’t take all our kitchen waste so I think I will set up a regular compost bin soon.

Cloth Nappies. Cute, soft, cheap and green.

Fair trade. When I have the choice- the fairtade movement is still very small here.

Line drying clothes. This is pretty normal in NZ. We don’t even own a dryer, in winter clothes and nappies get hung over racks inside.

Glass rather than plastic. OK, I got tempted and bought some tupperware last year, but I actually prefer the look of glass anyway.

Here’s what I’m working on…

Vegetarianism. Shhhh I haven’t told anyone about this yet- must talk to the Catracho soon. I have been thinking for some time about the ethical and health reasons to reduce my meat intake but just lately something has clicked and I actually don’t even want to eat meat at the moment.

Cloth mama pads and a moon cup. I will be getting these sometime very soon.

Organics fruit and veg. Once I get myself organised enough to order ahead rather than grab fuit and veg on my way through the supermarket.

Cloth bags. I actually have these, I just need to get into the habit of carrying them with me when I go shopping. Luckily our supermarket has nots of cardboard boxes and I usually put the groceries in those then recycle them (Chichi thinks they make great toy cars!).

And here are some things I’d like to do in the future but can’t seem to get my head around yet…

Driving less. I still feel like I need to drive, particularly to work (it’s a 20 minute drive or 1 hour and 2 buses), otherwise I wouldn’t see my daughter on the days I work. Walking or busing to just about anywhere from where we live just takes so long. Cars are just way too convenient!

Use natural skin care, fabrics and cleaning products. Again a convenience issue. It’s too easy to just use the products we are familiar with. I guess I should do some more research on this one.

Filed under: 2007 resolutions, New Zealand, environment, ethical living, fair trade, life, parenting

I went to Church

Yesterday I went to church. That is nothing unusual in itself, I have been a regular church goer more or less since the day I was born, however it is something I have been doing increasingly less frequently over the past couple of years .
I have been thinking a lot recently about church and religion and my spiritual journey, and it is something that I had considered discussing in my very first post about my “non-resolutions”. At the time I decided it would open up too much of a can of worms and was really deserving of a post of it’s own. It probably could actually fill a blog of it’s own but I’m not sure I quite ready to go there yet!! Anyway I mulled it over in my head during the sermon yesterday and decided that regardless of whether I decide to post regularly on this topic I would write a post now. If nothing else it is a acknowledgment of something that is an important part of me, somewhat of a work in progress but something that deeply affects the way I view the world and other things I post on.
My parents are very strong Christians and we attended a pentecostal church throughout my childhood. My husband was also involved in pentecostal churches in Latin America since he was a teenager. We actually met as “missionaries” with a Christian based medical aid organisation in Central America. However even while I was there I was beginning to have some pretty serious questions about religion and Christianity and these were only exacerbated by stresses and issues that arose during our time there. We came back to NZ to get married and settled into somewhat regular church-going habits, finding a church (outside of pentecostalism!) with a Minister we respected and a community we came to trust. However we perhaps should have taken heed of the warning given my husband by a pentecostal pastor before we embarked on our respective university studies because the more we have studied and thought about religion and associated issues the further we find ourselves withdrawing from traditional and fundamentalist teachings.
Since returning to Wellington we have visited several churches. A baby’s routine has made serious church hunting difficult, but to be honest her “sleep time” is more often than not an excuse when we have little motivation or desire to sit through another church service. Quite apart from having “heard it all before”, I have some real issues with both the teachings and actions of Christians.
In particular I have problems I with the neglect of some aspects of the bible and spirituality, such as a Christians responsibility to the poor, and the over-emphasis on others. This includes teachings that are too focussed on self (“warm fuzzy” spirituality) and on prosperity, and the enormous amount of effort that goes into so called “moral issues” like opposing abortion and homosexuality. The black and white approach I grew up with has given way to a much more grey view of the world, and I hate to see the damage and pain rigid Christianity has caused.
I also feel in a bit of theological no-mans land. I am less and less convinced of the literal interpretation of the bible I have heard taught all my life, and have found myself drawn to more “progressive” ideas, to a more figurative reading of scripture. I am swinging in the middle, finding it hard to discern the truth, and not really fitting with either side. Not a very comfortable place, I can’t really voice my beliefs at this point, but at least I am being honest with myself and making some slow process on this journey.
So I am at a bit of a crossroads. We will probably return to the church we visited yesterday, at lesat for another visit or 2, maybe to stay. I think I have come to the point where I am ready to join a church- I miss the community, and I do want my daughter to grow up with with the direction and foundation that Christianity can provide. But I will continue my journey, reading, thinking, praying, and maybe one day will reach the truth, or at least some sort of peace.

Filed under: 2007 resolutions, Christianity, Thoughts, life, religion

Budget Blues

It’s only January 2 but I thought I would get going on my “non resolutions” while I was motivated, and helped by a friend who gave me some budgeting software I sat down and started crunching numbers today. Three things have emerged clearly from this exercise…

1. I spend too much. On little things. I don’t think I am extravagant at all. In fact I know I’m not. I just like my coffees, and am too lazy to get up 5 minutes earlier to pack lunches… and it all adds up.

2. Bank fees and credit card interest gobble up far more money that I had imagined. I must have a close look at my bank, and I must must must pay off the credit card!

3. Budgets are incredibly dry, boring things that make me just want to go and spend money. I need to keep the end goals in my mind otherwise I know I will just spend.

Ugh.

Filed under: 2007 resolutions

New Year, New Blog

A new blog for a new year. I guess it’s not a terribly original idea but I thought it would be good time to start (again…). For my first post here I thought I would outline some of my goals and the things I want to do in 2007. They are not resolutions- I don’t do new years resolutions- but I am posting these ideas here as motivation for myself and as steps in the journey towards making my ‘castles in the clouds’ into something real.

At the moment the clearest goal my husband and myself have is to return to Latin America. This has been our goal since we married five years ago, but detours to studentland and parenthood have delayed us. We now have more debt than I’d really like to acknowledge, and DH has still to complete his degree (he had to take a break for health reasons) but this year I would love to make some concrete progress towards actually getting there.

To do that I need to give DH the time and space to complete those last few papers, and we need to make and keep a budget… get some debt paid and start saving. So there’s my first “non-resolutions”.

I also have some longer term ideas about what I’d like to do personally and professionally. I’d love to write/ teach/ consult in the areas of health and development. I have already made some progress with this, completing a Masters degree and I have recently started a great job in an organisation whose philosophy fits well with me and who can offer me potentially invaluable experience and training (perhaps I’ll blog more about that at a later date). In the longer term I’d like to get more overseas expereince (here’s where the Latin America idea comes in again!), and I am actually thinking about doing a PhD.

But thats longer term. In 2007 I need to make the most of all the professional development opportunities that I can, read more and perhaps try to write a couple more articles.

I also want to be more community minded and more ethically and environmentally conscious in the way I live. To link in with a community, to live less isolated. To buy ethically and carefully only what I need. To waste less. I’m really not sure how to achieve some of this but at least I need to be more conscious about what I am doing.
My other “non-resolutions” for 2007 are fairly run of the mill. Live healthier, try to eat better and to be more active. Not being resolutions, I have no plans to diet, or start a major exercise program, but I do need to work on this. I don’t think I’ll have much luck with the bigger goals if I can’t do the smaller things.

This blog will hopefully chronicle my progress towards these goals (and any detours, roadblocks and u-turns). It should also provide a forum for me to record other thoughts, ideas and interesting tidbits I come across. Maybe someone will read it. Maybe it will just be my record. Whatever happens I’m looking forward to the journey.

Filed under: 2007 resolutions, Latin America, development, dreams, ethical living, study