My transition from cluttered to simple living.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Another flogging....

I am beginning to think that I am an armchair environmentalist. Sure... I have great intentions, but in my case, my intention does not always translate into successful endeavour. Too often I am jolted into the reality that I could have done things differently. Most lessons learned come on the heel of a great mistake.

I have joined the "No Impact Weeklong Challenge" which began today. I am also reading the book " No Impact Man". I could not sleep last night. I am developing a nagging, irritating conscience. At 2 am I did a review of my week off and the number of times I slipped and left a larger impact than I intended. The thing is, most often I know better.

Take, for instance Friday. Three other ladies and I travelled 70 miles to attend the "Needlework and Craft Festival" in Toronto. My friend drove her husband's Crew Cab... a very large truck. Four ladies travelled 70km or 100 miles to browse and buy more fabric and supplies to feed our addiction to crafting and creating. Crafting and creating is not a bad thing...but the problem lies in the number of projects that all of us have on the go already. More supplies...more stuff...more expense. As if that was not enough, we left the Show and went to a Mall. Afterward, we went to a restaurant and ate.

So...what's the fuss? I really did not need to go. I have more than enough. We burned an insane amount of fuel to get to the Show. (I wonder if anyone else felt the same?)

Dinner was great. The company was great. We could have had a wonderful time, however, just sitting and chatting over a meal closer to home.

My husband and I travelled north to Bracebridge to visit with my daughter the following day... We made another faux pas. Several times we visited Tim Horton's, and bought coffee and lunch when we could have carried our own. More expense and waste.

Amber.... please don't give up on me. You are a tough act to follow. Hopefully after doing this challenge, I will have learned a few things....

5 comments:

  1. I am trying, I really am, but I also fall down now and then. I so want to go to REI but I know I'll buy something I don't really need. Although I could have waited to ride the bus today, instead I drove to the co-op for the newspaper... but you know, a girl NEEDS COFFEE!

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  2. Crafting -be it sewing, knitting, crochet or my current favorite, embroidery work -it's quite the struggle for people like us NOT to add more and more to an already overflowing stash of materials to do these crafts! I have yarns, pieces of fabrics, embroidery kits of all types -in plastic totes, in a "go green" shopping-type bag sitting beside my favorite recliner -all stuffed to the brim with "stuff" and still I look at the online craft site I love and contemplate ordering more. I can not pass a Joanne Fabrics store without finding something, anything, I need -but that I probably really don't need at all but I still have to have it, ya know. Yes, I know you understand my addiction cause you have confessed to sharing that addiction with me! The good thing about this though is that we do end up with beautiful things to give as gifts, to display with pride in our homes too though, don't we? Somehow, somewhere, in the midst of all that, doesn't doing this crafting stuff count a way we are helping, not hindering the environment? Surely if we think long and hard about this, we can find a way to justify this, can't we? I sure as heck do hope so anyway!

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  3. Well Djan...You ARE right. A girl does need her coffee. I try to buy Free Trade coffee when I can...and as strong as I can, or hubby will not drink it. Does make me think, though, of the number of miles those beans travelled to get to my cup...

    Hi Jeni! I agree,,, Making IS better than buying, however, my point is that I really did not need to travel so far to feed my addiction. There is a lovely quilt store 30 minutes from here, and online shopping would have been better still...

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  4. well..be happy in whatever u do..

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  5. Going to Tim Horton's might get to be a better thing soon. If you go to their site, they are now talking about the work they do with the communities they get their coffee from. It is not fair trade YET, but you can tell they are starting to cave to demand for better treatment of coffee growing communities. Maybe the next time you go to Timmys you could say, Gee wouldn't it be great if you had Certified Fair Trade coffee? It's a proven fact that the more all of us ask for something, the market will respond.
    On a further note, you left a comment on Unstuffed blog ( I am inspired by this blog) about towel toppers. Do you have a pattern that you would be willing to share?

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