...it's me again!

...well I didn't just drop off the face of the earth! It may have seemed that way but a little secret was kept from you. I guess I owe you an explanation!

I won't go into too much detail... a little storyboard will suffice...

hello... my name is luca joy!

An Indian Summer...

I've just stumbled across a new blog, thanks to one of my subscribers, angel whispers. Although there's nothing eco, green or sustainable about it, it's truly scrumptious!

Interior design, Indian style. Bhavna Bhatnagar has jumped right into my dreams and recorded them in her blog 'An Indian Summer'.

In my perfect world, where we all live simply and happily, I would be swanning around barefoot in a pretty little place surrounded by swaying coconut trees and beautiful vivid colours, drinking freshly squeezed watermelon juice.

Anyway, back to reality... enjoy!

How Green is Your Life?

Thanks Gav for this little snippet of fun... 

My results were...

Your Life is 88% Green

Your life is totally green, and as far as your environmental beliefs go... your actions do speak louder than your words. Your lifestyle totally serves as an inspiration to others. Whether you know it or not. So keep it up!

How Green Is Your Life?

Toxic Confusion...

On this journey of discovering more natural alternatives to everything, there are some things that I find totally beyond my level of intelligence. One of these is trying to decipher what is natural and non-toxic to myself and to the environment. No matter how much I Google or Wiki, if it involves a bit of science then I'm stumped.

Toiletries...

My Mum has bought a new hand wash after far too many comments from her eco-daughter. Why anybody would want to wash their hands with something that is not only a garish luminous green, but looks like it belongs in a hospital and bears the paradoxical name 'Carex', is beyond me. She has now got a lovely pear shaped bottle of 'Method, Sweet Water, Hand Wash', which displays it's econess with the words:

• Naturally derived
• Non toxic
• We're against animal testing (We'll so you should be, this is not the 80's!)

Now the bottle is of course recyclable ('recycle always' on the label), so minimal brownie points there, but it's always the list of ingredients that, to me is like reading Mandarin (I studied it for a year a long time ago) I get a few bits and pieces, like I know what Sodium is (of course) and Citric Acid... but the rest, it could all be the main ingredients for bomb making and I wouldn't have a clue!

As always, ingredient number one is Aqua, or water as it is commonly known where I come from. Then second on the list comes our partner in crime 'Sodium Lauryl Sulphate'.

Now even after reading the Wikipedia definitions of both Sodium Lauryl and Laureth Sulphate, I'm none the wiser. It does say on the Laureth definition:

"The Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (CTFA) and the American Cancer Society have stated that the common belief that SLES is a carcinogen is an urban legend, a view confirmed by toxicology research by the OSHA, NTP, and IARC. SLES and SLS, and subsequently the products containing them, have been found to contain parts-per-thousand to parts-per-million levels of 1,4-dioxane, with the recommendation that these levels be monitored. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers 1,4-dioxane to be a probable human carcinogen (having observed an increased incidence of cancer in controlled animal studies, but not in epidemiological studies of workers using the compound), and a known irritant (with a no-observed-adverse-effects level of 400 milligrams per cubic meter). While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration encourages manufacturers to remove this contaminant, it is not currently required by federal law."

So is it or isn't it toxic? Is it just toxic for our bodies, or is it toxic for the environment? Either way, I'm not taking my chances and I want to move on to totally natural products, not even the ones that come in a plastic bottle, more like ones that come directly from a tree... in a perfect world.

So do I forgo washing my hands at other people houses? I do I carry a little pot of shikakai with me everywhere I go?

(By the way Mum, your doing a good job, I know it's hard to break habits and even harder when you are bullied into it!)

Laundry... 

On the subject of 'Growing on trees', I found this post from a fellow Blogger, who I linked to in my Soap Nuts post ... a great set of tips on how to grow your own Soap Nuts.

Then received in the post today is my Mums sample of Soap Nuts, generously purchased by eco-daughter herself here. I will have great pleasure, for once, getting involved (briefly) in the copious amounts of washing that gets done in this house.

Medication... 

ThinkTank

I don't really like to take medication unless I really need to. I prefer to go down the alternative path for most things, but I won't put myself at risk to prove a point. I put my hands up and admit that even after a totally natural birth plan that started in the drug free birthing unit, I ended up after 30 hours and complications, being trolleyed up to the maternity ward, completely exhausted, to be administered Pethidine and booked in for an emergency epidural (which thankfully never happened).

Even over the last few days of back pain, I gave in after day 2 and started taking Ibruprofen, because my Mum told me that after countless years of pain, she has found it to be true that 'coping' makes things worse and using pain relief helps long term because you are not limiting your movements, which in turn seizes your muscles up.

In India, I have in the past had many traditional Ayurvedic massages. When my back plays up I have found great relief from Shiatsu, Acupuncture, Aromatherapy and Magnotherapy and have rarely had to resort to Allopathic medicine. Here in the UK, I just cannot afford to go down this route at £35 per session for Acupuncture. I do appreciate that in some areas, alternative medicines and therapies are funded by the NHS, but only for long term treatments and by referral from your GP. 

Dentistry... 

Jiva Dental

This morning I had my 6 month check up at the dentist. I actually enjoy going to the dentist because he is from the same area of Kerala that my husbands family is from, so we always have a lot to talk about and he is always very gentle when it comes to cleaning and injections.

So this got me thinking about how green is the dentist?

"Many aspects of “green dentistry” exist: the architecture of a dental practice, energy sources, clinical and administrative technology, materials used for treatment, and more. For an existing practice, moving toward “green” slowly may be the best option. The existing practice can go paperless, use digital x-ray, stop using mercury altogether, and install energy-efficient windows to flood the interior with natural light. Indoor plants, an air filtration system, and a commitment to reduce office waste (recycle!) are simple changes that don’t cost much"

Dentalblogs

• The main eco point seems to revolve around the x-rays. Digital Radiology eliminates photochemical waste, radiation and lead components.
• Chemiclave solutions for cleaning along with bleach cleaners are considered hazardous waste and should be replaced with eco alternatives.
• Oil-free air compressors should replace those using oil.
• Paperless administration is a simple way to go green.

More information can be found here and here.

There are some dentists following this path, for example Jiva Dental in Kingston, Surrey. There's even an Eco-Dentistry Association in California. So next time you pop in for your check up, ask your friendly tooth doctor 'How green are you?'

And no, I'm not about to have my dental treatment administered without pain relief in the form of Local Anesthetic, until they offer me hypnotherapy or half a bottle of gin, that is!

Did you know some patients have brain surgery done without being under general anesthetic?

***

So, as they say in the eco-world, I'm taking 'baby-steps' to a more non-toxic future, but like most of us just starting out on this journey, I'm no eco-goddess, well not just yet anyway. I do however make a conscious effort to be mindful in my everyday life, research my options and take the eco-route, wherever I find one.

Stop and Smell the Roses...

I'm taking your advice and taking it easy... 

relaxing...

being happy...

enjoying Autumn (with a scarf on)...

and foraging in the garden...

there are no more blackberries left now!

Boxes...

(boxes)

My life is in boxes...

I have a friend, who is frugal, tight, bossy, organised, loud and emotioness...

She came to our house yesterday with her husband after a two week holiday to Mexico feeling jet lagged, but she had already cooked dinner and washed up from the night before, done all her washing and hung it up to dry and looked fabulous in full make up and pretty clothes.  

We had no dinner prepared, washing up from days before, place a mess and nothing to offer as refreshments. Boxes all over the place and no idea how to send them for the cheapest price, safest journey and least hassle since we don't have a car.

To cut a long story short, my frugal, tight, bossy, organised, loud and emotioness friend made a plan A, B, C, D and then E, after 8 hours and a headache and a gin and tonic, we finally booked our boxes to be picked up door to door, at a third of our original quote, paid online and then found out the airline carrier was the same as the original quote anyway!!

I love my friend... she is an angel... we're happy now.

I won't be around much for the next few days, too busy, moving out on Tuesday. Have a lovely weekend x

Cleaning Baskets in the Sun (or Shade)...

As you may already gather from this post, I have a big love of baskets. Our flat at the moment, with the weather getting colder, is becoming quite a haven for mould. No it's not very nice and yes, I know it's not at all good for our health. But we're off, so I don't really loose much sleep over it. The problem is though, apart from the teabags and flour I had in the cupboards going mouldy (sorry I couldn't offer you a cup of Peppermint tea Mum!), all my baskets have taken on a light tinge of green!

I couldn't live without my baskets (well I'm sure I could really) to contain all the silly clutter that flutters around my life. I absolutely love anything that can be classed in the 'Things to Put Things In' catergory... I like my surfaces clear and easy to clean, so for me the basket is the epiphany of clutter containment.

I thought I'd have a go at cleaning them, since they will be going on the 'by sea' journey to India. I'm not sure how long they will last in the monsoon humidity, but they may as well come along for the ride instead of going up in the loft.

The wonderful Rhonda Jean wrote a post a while back on just this subject and the lovely Julie (Oh bugger, you wern't on my blogroll... why isn't my google reader updating my list properly?), wrote a post about how she transformed her baskets in one of her super duper 'Doing/Making/Garden/Dinner' frenzies. (Simple Days she calls them!)

So with a little help...

...we collected up the mouldy baskets and using a little antibacterial, supposedly 'natural' washing up liquid from Sainsburys, (a little dig there because I thought I was buying eco, no more eco than 'Herbal Essences'!) we scrubbed and showered them down (I wasn't about to get the cold hosepipe out in this weather). Now the next step is to leave them to dry in the sun for a few days... yeah right! As the weather here is not quite as predictable as one would hope and the only patch of sun I could find in our little yard was a bit too high up to string up my basket collection, I settled for the cold shade.


So when they do finally dry, I will take an old cloth and rub them over with some Olive Oil to give them a new lease of life, fill them with beautiful things and post them off to India to meet me in the sun...

Slipping off the Eco-Wagon...

I'm not being very 'Green', 'Simple' or 'Self Sufficient' right now...

My energy levels are on a roller coaster ride at the moment. I've slowed down in the last few days, my mind is cloudy and I'm not at all worried about the impending doom and gloom of packing, paying bills and moving on...

In fact I'm almost non plussed.

I've realised that because I haven't had any of my usual focuses to focus on, I feel a bit lost. I've got nothing to write about, I've got no meals planned, I'm scraping through the last of our stock in the cupboards at the same time as being a bit frivolous, thinking 'Oh well, we'll be gone soon anyway'... 

My Mum came at the weekend bringing a fresh haul of goodies. Muffins, brownies (no, not a chance it was fresh from the oven, fresh from Sainsbury's!) Sausages, chicken and lots of shrink wrapped veggies. She's so good to me and hates to think of me starving myself! So I haven't even had the usually mulling around the local shops to do. I did however pick a handful of French Beans for my Mum to take home, she was quite amazed and hadn't thought in a million years, her daughter would be giving her home grown veg!

As for the packing, well what am I thinking! A new life starts ..... (here!).... and I'm worrying whether or not to take my colander along for the ride! Mum's bagsed almost everything, Michael will be none to happy about that! He can't stand the clutter and begs me to take it away.. no more back up kettles purleeeese!

I usually base my posts around the photos I've taken recently. But there aren't any. We haven't been very far with no car. We catch the bus to playschool on Mondays and Wednesdays and pop over to the local park. No excitement, no stress.

We went on the bus into the city last night. The usual shopping trip before we travel, to pick up the necessities for traveling, like pants and stretchy things you can't get in India. Primark of course because we can't afford anything else, although I did splash out for the first time in years at the weekend. We went with my family to Wagamamas for lunch, which happens to be smack bang in the middle of the brand spanking new Highcross Shopping Centre, Leicester City. A haven of high class, top brand fashion... yuck! 

Now in my mind I hate all the faffy fashions, hate the thought of all that money being wasted away, despise the image factor and can't believe people enjoy doing it all on a Saturday afternoon. Then when I got there, I was on a high having my family around me, having £40 in my pocket from Grandpa and having a belly full of positive+ energy...

I found the shop (Republic) I had tried to order some quality, 5 yearly purchases, online a few weeks ago. My order had been refunded because they were out of stock.

We can't afford the G-Stars and Diesels of the world, not coveted for the expensive labels but for the quality, industrial look, comfort and practicality, so very occasionally we step up a level from Primark and buy some long lasting essentials.

There in the shop the lovely grey hoody and sparkly jeans I coveted, were waiting by the door to tempt me... along with a very practical, lightweight coat, perfect for air-conditioned airports and the fresh air of the mountains. 

I had also wanted these combats...                                                                                                                 

... but the size 10 was huge on me, they are supposed to come in a size 6 too, be serious, me a size 6, not even in my dreams am I a size 6! So I was very upset to find the size 6 never even existed. After a mass trying on session and a few giggles with the lovely guy looking after the changing rooms, my very relaxed shopping spree (baby with Ammama) ended on a high when the nice manager gave me a 10% discount for having such a silly sizing system on the combats!

So I'm all ready to go, full capsule wardrobe waiting in a not very neat pile...

We still haven't got our passports back, so no tickets booked!

***

I'm very excited about tomorrow morning! Another bus trip to the city, for my very first meeting with an 'Internet Friend'! I've arranged to meet Laura from 'Move to Portugal' for a cup of Fairtrade coffee in 'The Lanes' of Leicester. That'll be something to post about!

Feeling Happy...

My family have come to stay for the weekend...

It's so nice to have a bit of time without constant attention to the angel...

I love her with all my heart, but it's nice to free my mind...

She's so happy with her Ammama (my Mum)

Funny Grandpa (my Grandpa, he's 87!) 

and Auntie Hanna (my Sister)

I hate to think about leaving them behind and taking her away... it's too much... 

Has anyone been through it before?

Weighing Up the Pros and Colandars...

Over the last few days I've not really been up to much. I'd love to say I've been out digging up the garden (what garden?) or knitting a scarf for winter (I still haven't got any needles) or even making a nice big batch of muffins to store in the freezer (I never did get the muffin tray)...

What have I been doing?

A bit of procrastinating, a bit of worrying, some moving things from room to room...

I'm feeling a bit like I'm in limbo. We know we are going but we still don't know when. We're dreaming of the day the passports come through the letterbox, so we can book our flights. 

I've spent a lot of time de-cluttering and prioritising what's wanted and what's not, but I've hit a mental block now. Most things we need for daily life to continue so I can't even pack yet (I'm the one that starts packing 6 weeks before I go anywhere!) I need help. I'm not sure what I'm doing...

We have found a company that sends boxes to India for a pound a kilo. The idea is to send what we really love and don't want to get rid of, see my post 'Simplicity Update' for the list. The problem is I've started thinking 'Well if it only weighs a kilo, it only costs a pound to send', so things are being added to the list and weighed and then I stand there in the kitchen in a daze saying to myself 'What am I doing?!'

Now let me explain. We don't have a house yet. It may take a few years to buy a piece of land and build one. So my dilemma is should I send things that I don't really want, but could be useful in the future? There are so many things you can't get, or are expensive to buy in India. I'm mainly talking about kitchenalia...

The 'Obliterator' in me says 'Don't do it!', but the new frugal me says 'You won't get one like that for less than a quid'...

I'm not the slightest bit attached in any way to my colander or cake plate, but I can't help thinking 'what a waste!'...

Then there's the books and toys... I don't have a problem with these. Quality books and toys are hard to come buy in India and with 3 babies to entertain, I know they will be worthwhile sending.

So forgive me whilst I put the kettle on (no that's not going and neither is the kitchen sink!), sit down for a few more minutes and contemplate clutter... I've got so much to do!!

Growing Green Fingers...

To offset my ranting over the last few days, I will show you some vegetable wonders of the world... We have had so much rain in the last few weeks, I haven't had to water the garden, so I haven't really been taking time to look at what's been going on. The mornings of sitting out in the sun drinking my coffee have gone and the paddling pool has been put away. 

Has summer gone so soon?

Before we set off on our weekends away, there was nothing but a few flowers on the french beans. Now miraculously we have 6 inches of superfine legumes to be proud of...

The peppers are popping up quite nicely, but the slugs and baby snails have had a field day...

We've had the last of the lettuce now, but the cherry tomatoes are still giving us some sweet little gifts of juiciness...

We haven't had much of a harvest in our first attempt at growing vegetables, mainly because of the lack of space in the yard and because I haven't been able to afford to buy or find any larger pots or compost to repot the things that need more nourishment. I guess if we could compost our waste somehow it would make a huge difference to what we could grow.

I haven't used any kind of plant food because I don't want to get into buying organic food in plastic bottles that won't be available in India. When the time comes I will research homemade organic plant feeds in more depth.

The experiments in sowing and growing have been great fun and very challenging. The satisfaction I have felt seeing and eating something I made happen is unbelievably addictive.

I knew from the start that things would go wrong and I have been happy to learn from my mistakes.

What I have learnt:

• Always use clean soil, to avoid diseases such as 'damping off'. At the very beginning I used some pebbles from the garden to help with drainage in my pots... big mistake! The seedlings and soil went mouldy and developed a green 'dew drop' disease over the surface.
  
• Watering should be done from below to avoid 'drowning' the seeds before they germinate.
• Water regularly to avoid 'bolting' of seedlings. If the tray gets too dry the seedlings will bolt up and grow too quickly.
• Carrots need to be thinned out when they are quite small, otherwise the leaves get too tangled to easily be pulled.
• Slugs love my strawberries!

What we have grown:

• Baby leaf lettuce - lots of it.
• Rocket - lots more.
• Courgettes - very small ones due to small pots, but very tasty too. About 10 in total.
• Tomatoes - cherry, we've eaten about 20 so far.
• French beans - about 20 on the plant, I may use them tonight.
• Peas - haven't done so well because they were in the same pot as the beans, which have won the battle.
• Peppers - the pots are too small so I'm not expecting much.
• Potatoes - an experiment with a few Tesco Value chits! Watered by the bathroom sink, that needs a proper drainage pipe. I planted 6 in a recycling box, too many in a small space, they grew too tall and fell over before they flowered. I had a look and found lots of potatoes but they had a white speckled disease. I just wanted to see how they grew really.
• Cucumber - still growing, but the same pot issue, they are looking a bit small and wobbly.
• Spring onions - from sets, lovely in our salads.
• Coriander - loads of it.

So all in all I'm very happy with the dabbling in 'Green fingered magic' ... The most important thing I have learned is that preparation is the key to success. The heart of any garden is in the soil. Good soil means healthy plants. When we buy some land I will probably spend the first year just building up a good supply of compost and making some raised beds to ensure the nutrients are properly distributed. I'm also going to look into irrigation systems involving greywater. 

I'm excited about learning more of crop rotation, companion planting and moon planting. So if any of you have ideas, links or posts about these, I'd love to hear from you.

One of my favourite garden blogs in India (in fact it's the only one I've found!) is India Garden. She doesn't grow vegetables but her photos are always so inspiring. 

I can't wait to get started now!

Washing Powder Doesn't Grow on Trees...

(Thanks Saheli)

I just realised that I don't know how we will wash our clothes in India. The usual laundry method will result in lovely fresh pressed clothes at a bargain price, but not exactly on the eco path of ours. Washing powders along with everything else are largely sold in never ending sizes of plastic sachet which unfortunately often end up blowing around in the breeze before they float down the river. So with the chemicals they contain and the plastic they come in, a natural substitute had to be found...

Soap nuts! Sapindus...

(from Pasadena Housewife)

I discovered the most natural washing product in the world, whilst writing this post. So I guess with a bit of asking around at the local dukaan, I should be able to source some. Maybe I should give them a go before hand and try doing some washing in a bucket!

Back up to the claims of a miracle laundry product can be found at:

* Revolutionary laundry soap product grows on trees, replaces laundry detergent

with eco-friendly solution

* Soap Nuts: a Review

* In a Soap Nut Shell... Clean Your Laundry and Your Concience!

Oh and I'm glad I decided to give the nopooing a go before we leave...

I just washed my hair with a mix of 2 parts Shikakai, 1 part Amla and 1 part Neem... I don't really like the way my hair feels, maybe I didn't wash it out enough, maybe because I made the paste a bit thicker this time. I'll give it another go with a runnier mix and wash it out more thoroughly next time. If my hair still feels icky then I'll try without neem, then without amla.

Amla is said to make your hair lose it's red tones, which is a good thing for me because I'm trying to grow out all the chemicals I've saturated my hair with in the past, leaving it a bit coppery. So the more brown the better.

Neem is said to leave a slight tinge of green on fairer hair, which is quite scary, so I hope to God I don't end up looking like an Oompa loompa

I really was impressed by the Shikakai, so I will be sticking to it.  I heard screams from the bathroom last night when my husband realised I had given away our shampoo and conditioner!

I feel cleansed in every way now!

Once Upon a Time...

In answer to Kel at Taurus Rising ...who left this comment on Sinking Ship...SOS

"5 weeks. Wow! Have I missed a post which describes where you're staying when you first arrive, what your plans are when you get there...? Point me in the right direction, or ..write one, lots of detail.."

***

Ok where do I start?

At the beginning...

For me this stage of my life started when, after traveling the world and becoming disillusioned with life I quit my job in 2003 and left England to buy a house in Goa, India. You may have seen me on TV, Get a new life, the one who bought the dodgy looking house with a dream of opening a cafe... Most people I have spoken to since, have said they thought I was 'bloody bonkers!' Well maybe I am. I had got this far with the help of my family and was down to zero capital ... But even having no money and no plan didn't deter me, I trusted in 'Hope' and soon I was introduced to someone who proposed a business plan and away we went...

So my dream turned from this...

...to this!

Casa Maya

(Click to see the website)

I spent a couple of years of hard(ish) work to design and build this house, (not with my own hands!) sticking as much as possible to the traditional Portuguese house that was already a part of the land. Every detail was passed by me, every piece of work was checked by me, every colour and material was chosen by me, everything from roof to foundations, plants to tiles, cups to cushions... I'm quite proud of what I achieved in my naive determination to succeed.

But because the dream had faded and become somebody elses, because I hadn't paid for the work to be done, because I had to compromise 'big time' on the econess (read expensiveness) of the whole project, because I didn't have much of a say anymore, because I felt that I was very lucky to have got so far, because I fell in love and because I got married, because Goa just went downhill far to quickly... My dream was washed away in the monsoon rains and I sold my share of Casa Maya, the pretty boutique guesthouse in the sun...

'My' dream then became 'Our' dream

...then 2 became 3

***

Why did we come back to England?

* Because we are lucky to have free medical treatment in the UK and I wanted to have the support of my family when I had our baby.

* Because we had dreams of making some money in this country and possibly buying a house we could rent out in the future.

* Because of the bureaucracy of immigration laws... 

***

Why do we want to go back?

* Because we both love India and don't love Britain.

* Because we don't fit in to this way of life.

* Because we can't afford to stay.

* Because my husbands family need us.

* Because we want the best life for our daughter.

Where will we go?

* We will start in Bombay, where we will spend time with family, C's brother and sister and Evangels cousins, they were born 6 weeks apart, Angelina, Emmanuel and Evangel (and Chris, who is much older)

* We will move down to Goa where we have bought an apartment that has just been built and needs finishing touches before we can rent it out.

* Then down to Kerala, where C's family are from.

* We then plan on making the most of our freedom together as a family. We want to spend a few years traveling around India, hopefully finding a place where we feel at home.

What will we do?

* We are not looking to be rich, just happy.

* We will rent our apartment during the tourist season in Goa (October-April)

* We will invest what we have in either a fixed deposit, property or land.

* We will live a frugal, simple and natural life.

What is our long term plan?

* To settle down when Angel reaches school age, in a beautiful place, where we can teach her the joys of simple living.

* To give Angel the best possible education we can provide her. We are both in agreement that we would like her to be a part of a Montessori type environment. In India there is a school with a similar ideology called Krishnamurti, where "learning to enquire, to observe oneself, to relate with other people and the earth, is their core intention."

* To make sure C's parents are well looked after and happy.

* To find a piece of land we can build our little eco house on and live self sufficiently.

How will we get there?

We both live on fresh air and dreams...

We follow our hearts instead of our heads...

We believe everything will be alright in the end...

We both have good hearts and good intentions...

We don't follow what society believes is right, only what we know is best for each other...

We both feel very lucky to have what we have...

...our little angel x

***

Simplicity Update...

Things at home on the 'path to self sufficiency' are taking a back seat at the moment. The main focus now is a 'path to simplicity' in preparation for our upheaval.

It's not that I don't care anymore or that I've changed my mind, I just have to think a bit more about the short term right now. The future will come, but we have no idea what we'll be doing yet or where.

So over the next few weeks I have to analyze all the possessions we have and decide what to do with them all. We have managed to collect quite a bit of general clutter, just because we thought we would be staying for another 2 years. I suppose the longer you plan on staying in one place, the more you collect. I'm quite accustomed now to packing my life up into boxes, the funny thing is opening them a few years later and wondering 'Why on earth did I save that?'

So sitting here wondering 'Have I really got that much stuff? I thought about the different types of things that seem to appear the longer I stay in one place. Home comforts become more permanent. Temporary things amass. 'Things that might be useful one day' get forgotten in deep cupboards and lofts. Attachment then turns to suffering...

So I've been mentally de-cluttering. Window shopping in my own home, deciding what I really love, what can go now, what can go soon and what I might miss. I am quite harsh when it comes to clearing out, the 'Obliteator' in me often wins. Though I have many times just wished I had kept something that really could have been useful!

So instead of being stressed about how much I have now and how much I have to get rid of, I categorized my 'things' into 3 main groups, so I could easily plan the 'Minimize and Simplify Project'. They are:

* Prized possessions - beautiful things collected throughout life. 

For me that includes a few big books about India, photography, Buddhism, cookery and beautiful interior design. I don't buy books anymore because I am forever on the move, so the few I have decided to keep mean a lot to me. 

I spent some time practicing Tibetan Buddhism at a difficult time in my life so I have a few books, prayer texts, mala's and Buddha images which I cherish. I think I have found the concept of religion too difficult for me to grasp any specific belief, but if any has made a profound impact on me, it would be the Buddhist philosophy.

Framed photos of our family. Only a few but very precious to me.

I have a bit of an obsession with natural material baskets and boxes. I have a few that I keep because they are hard to find now and very expensive. I wouldn't rush to save them in a fire but I won't get rid of them just to simplify because they help me contain all the little things you need that otherwise clutter your life, like toiletries and 'bits and bobs'.

I have one painting, a piece of aboriginal art, I bought in Australia. It cost me £350 nearly 10 years ago and I love it. I doubt I would ever sell it.

My MacBook. It's a big part of my life right now. I'm sure you can relate. I have all my photos and music backed up on an external hard drive and photos double backed up on DVD. Plus there's all the miles of cables that seems to be a part of laptop life, I never could understand why something that was supposed to be so portable, ends up weighing three times more when you include the cables! Long live wireless networks and hurry up with the no cable solar powered supply...

I don't count jewellery as a possession because it's a part of me. I never take it off and it doesn't clutter my life.

* Transitional things - functional and practical objects for everyday life.

Things for each room in the house. Kitchen crockery, cutlery, pots, pans, pillows, furniture. I could walk away very easily and leave it all behind. Most of it I will leave for the next tenant as we have bought a lot to make the place homely such as a kitchen blind and shelves. 

Clothes. I never really cared much for fashion, I'm more of a comfortable jeans and flip flops girl. So clothes have never been a problem for me to part with, more that they fall apart because they are so cheap!

* Consumables - Things that get used up.

Eatables (as they like to call them in India!), cleaning products, toiletries. I have already made a big effort in the past to reduce these. 

My menu planning has reduced our stock of food to a minimal supply. Oh yes... those cleaning bottles are still there. It doesn't matter now, they're staying, along with the Ecover that I will be leaving to encourage the new tenant into (eco)nciousness. Travelling light makes you realise how little you really need to get by with each day, so I rarely have too many toiletries. I don't wear make up and I rarely brush my hair let alone put stuff in it or dry it with cabled electronics. If there's anything left I give it away.

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I like to think of it like cleansing my life down to a minimum again, so as scary as it all seems to be, when I'm looking at a packed bag or a cardboard box, I know that it's the start of a new adventure, with no extra baggage...

Offsetting my "Ignorance Footprint"...

You must be the change you want to see in the world.” 

Mahatma Gandhi ...

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One of the main reasons that I want to go back to live in India is because of the guilt that I feel living in a first world country. I am not a saint, I have lived my life to excess at some points. I have been drunk far too many times, I have spent too much money on clothes, electronics, food and every other luxury that is thrown in my face by consumerism. I have wasted, not wanted... and been ungrateful for what life has given me...

When I think of myself throwing food away, leaving a tap dripping all night, spending ridiculous amounts of money on crap, I feel angry and determined to make up for all the mistakes I have made.

My journey is not one of self satisfaction... It is not a fashion statement... It is nothing to do with offsetting my footprint in this world. That to me would be like the first world countries 'buying' their freedom from third world countries, to pollute their skies for money. I don't want to work hard, play hard and pay for my 'carbon footprint' later with cash, when by doing that somebody else in the world has to work hard, never play and never get to drink a glass of fresh water.

It causes me great anguish to see adverts for 'the lowest omission 4x4 on the road'... WHY oh WHY do you NEED a Range Rover Sport in the hills of London, to get to Waitrose and back? (I just found this website, of the 'Alliance Against Urban 4x4s'... thank God I'm not alone!)

Has anyone ever worked hard enough to deserve this? (Yes it's solid silver)

I don't deserve to have more than everybody else, do I? Should I think that God has put me here in 'Material Heaven' I should not be accountable for the other 2/3rds of the worlds population.

Since I have travelled and seen the world, met the 'real' people out there, the people with passion for life, the people who smile when they see you... I have realised what 'poor' really means. These so called poor people are richer than me in every way. They have the support from their extended families, they are happy with what they have, they have pride in their jobs, they have faith in their God.

A lot better than working in Tesco's?

I feel it is my duty as a mother to bring my daughter into a world of pride and respect. Human life is so precious, whether it belongs to a king or a beggar. Who can decide which life is worth more?

This lady may not have much to sell but she has her pride.

I have some poor friends. In fact I have met so many people over the years who have touched my heart. More than that they have shown me what life is really about, the beauty in a sunset, a shell or even a leftover meal. 

One beggar I passed everyday on the streets of Calcutta, smiled at me and never asked me for money, she had pride. One day I took her the leftovers of our lunch and a small muffin. Many beggars just grab what you give and run away. She looked into my eyes and said to me "Thank you Sister"...

Some of the most beautiful people I have met have been poor. They have invited me into their homes, their families and their lives and prepared food for me with no thought to how much my meal cost. Many of the mothers have gone without to feed their guest. One saying in India is, Atithi devo bhavah, or "our guests are our gods" (Taken from Hindu scripture) There is no Indian home where you will not be treated to food and a drink, however poor the family is. They will go without themselves to feed a visitor.

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This is one day that I will never forget... 

A mother of four, younger than me, a husband who drinks, sleeps and rarely goes to work. Four beautiful children, they don't go to school, they have learnt English from foreigners, they spend their days looking for tourists to sell their goods to... invited me to lunch at their house.

Real happiness comes from other people...

From living close to nature...

Still want that Ikea kitchen?

True pride comes from being humble...

Sincere hospitality is giving more than you've got...

I have been friends with them ever since...

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So my plan to live a self sufficient life has a little bit to do with wanting to save our planet for our future children, but it is mostly about living my life in a simpler way to make room for everyone to enjoy our world. For my conscience to blossom and grow into compassion for others who are less fortunate than me. For me to teach peace and humility to my beautiful daughter, who deserves more than I ever had... not possessions, but experiences...

I want to feel like I am only taking my fair share of this life...

and giving back more than I have.