Trashion-making a halter tunic from a t-shirt

I really loved this simple idea... If you're a crafter like me and haven't checked out Etsy Labs
be sure to!

After"peak"oil:"Will"America"survive?

After trying for so long to debunk "peak oil" alarmists the big oil companies are finally admitting that oil supplies cannot and will not keep up with our mass consumption. This article gives us serious food for thought and offers preparedness advice.

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Environment is Everything

In an effort to do my part in the world, at least in my local area, the following is a letter to the editor I wrote in response to Monday’s Times-Gazette article on Freecycle.

Environment is Everything

I am most appreciative for the opportunity to have been a part of the article about Freecycle. Thank you to Jarrod and TG for bringing this subject to the public’s attention.

According to the national website Freecycle began as a way to promote waste reduction in Tucson's downtown in an effort to help preserve desert landscape and prevent it from being taken over by landfills.

The mission statement of the Ashland county Freecycle organization is “…to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources, and eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community." The message Freecycle brings home to me is to think globally and act locally.

Freecycling is a win-win solution for everyone with access to a computer. I think that point was well covered in the recent article. As a longtime recycler and advocate for the environment, it’s my hope that many more will join and partake in this grassroots effort to reduce waste.

It is also my hope that more people will join the ongoing movement to live a simpler, more conscientious lifestyle that has for too long been lacking in America. I believe it is essential for us to wake up to the reality of our mass consumerism and it’s affect on the environment.

If we take a long, hard look at what is truly essential and compare that to how much waste we accumulate and produce as a result of our consumerism, we might be surprised. If we take a serious look at the affect our waste has on the land, the air, the oceans, the wildlife and how all these things suffer (and die) as a result of our need to consume in excess we might be appalled. It is time we wake up and smell the ozone.

We can all recycle, we can all choose wisely by supporting local and organic farmers, choosing products made from recycled goods, avoiding over packaged and “throw away” items and repairing rather than replacing. We all have the ability to think beyond ourselves, to practice and develop responsible habits. We all can reduce, reuse and recycle and in doing so alter the course of tomorrow.

Let us stop being the willing victims of capitalistic brainwashing and act responsibly by taking only what we need, using what we take and doing no further harm. Let’s choose to stop poisoning ourselves, our children and our planet with over processed, unnatural, genetically modified and chemically laden products. Let us think before purchasing goods that are designed only to benefit profit margins and which may be harmful or are likely to end up in a landfill.

It is my sincere hope that more and more of us choose to live in a state of global and environmental awareness by educating ourselves and taking responsibility as the stewards we are of this beautiful planet. It is after all our home, our only home. Let’s make it available to future generations and be remembered as the generation that did the right thing, not as the generation that could have.

There is a saying credited to the North American Cree. It goes, “Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.”

Let us realize this before it becomes too late to act. The environment is our food, our water, our shelter, the air we breathe. It provides all that is necessary to sustain life...at least for now. Isn't it time we evolved into a more environmentally conscious, sustainable and responsible society?

Getting the message out-we made the front page!

Photo By Times-Gazette photo/Tom E. Puskar
Sallie and Ken Cooper pose with some of the things (computer monitor, canister set and breadmaker) they have obtained through Freecycling.

7-16-07

Times-Gazette.com

Another way to recycle / Avid recyclers enjoy trading items with others through Freecycling

11 hours ago

By JARRED OPATZ

T-G Special Projects Editor

Ken and Sallie Cooper got their computer monitor from a lady in Jeromesville, their bread machine from a Sullivan resident and their vintage canisters from someone in Mansfield.

They didn't have to pay for any of them.

The Rowsburg-area couple got the items through freecycling -- a grassroots, nonprofit movement of people who give and get stuff for free that really has grown since it began four years ago in Tucson, Ariz.

The Freecycle Network is made up of more than 4,000 individual groups across the globe with more than 3 million members, according The Freecycle Network Web site, www.freecycle.org.

Members contact each other through e-mail to get and give away things that otherwise might end up in the trash by joining local Freecycle groups. The Coopers belong to both the Ashland County and Mansfield groups, which have 724 and 1,269 members, respectively. It's free to sign up for a group, but there are guidelines to follow, such as not reselling items received from freecycling or not just joining to get things.

"There are some people who get into it just to get stuff, but I think most people are glad to trade things, get rid of stuff and not have to throw it away," Sallie said.

"It's a good thing, but, like with anything, you have some people who abuse the system," she added.

The Coopers have given away quite a bit of things through freecycling, too, such as organic tomato plants, clothing and canisters.

"I had some blue canisters he bought at an auction," Sallie said looking at her husband one day last week while talking about their experiences with freecycling to a reporter in their rural home. "They were really nice, but I had a pink kitchen and didn't use them.

"So, when I had a chance to get these," she added pointing to the canister set she now has in her kitchen she got through freecycling, "I freecycled the blue ones."

For the Coopers, freecycling has fit their lifestyle perfectly. They have been avid recyclers for many years and they like to live a simple, frugal lifestyle.

"We're big recyclers," Ken said. "I would rather recycle something than send it to the dump."

Freecycling has given the Coopers another "recycling" option with the benefit of getting things they usually need and not having to throw away things they don't need and can't take to the Recycling Center.

"We don't throw away things unless there's no alternative," Sallie said. "In the process," she added looking at stereo speakers and a few of the other things she has decorated her house with through freecycling with a big smile. "I really like my stereo speakers. They would have taken up a lot of room in a landfill."

If there's something the Coopers want, they can post an offer on the group's Web site or goes to members' e-mails.

"If you're the first one to respond, you're mostly the one to get it," Sallie said. "Most people will respond to the first person who responds to their ad."

Freestyle discourages sharing private information with the group, such as phone numbers and addresses.

"A lot of times when you're dealing with someone you don't even exchange phone numbers," Sallie said. "You just contact through e-mail, and a lot of times it's just on a first-name basis."

"A lot of times you don't even meet the people," Ken said. "If you're not going to be here and someone is coming to pick something up, you just leave it on the porch or where ever."

What makes it fun is some of the unique things you can find with freecycling or unique ways people use some of the things you give them, the Coopers agreed.

"When we moved to our home (about a year ago) we had a barn full of stuff we gave away through Freecycle," Sallie said. "We had a lot of huge wooden spools we got rid of. One couple from Jeromesville had the most unique reason for getting some of them. They had goats and said they were going to make pyramids for the goats to climb because goats love to climb."

Muscovy ducks have been the most unique things the Coopers have gotten through Freecycle.

"We had talked about getting ducks," Sallie said. "We really liked Muscovy ducks. I had read a lot about them. They are really unique ducks.

"Then, a lady in the Polk area had an ad for Muscovy ducks, and I thought, 'What are the odds?' " Sallie added.

The Coopers have four Muscovy ducks, which they said are quiet ducks who don't quack. They eat the eggs they get from the three females.

A basket of yarn from a Nankin woman is another interesting item they have received through freecycling, Sallie said.

As much as they enjoy the things they receive and get rid of through Freecycle, the Coopers said they mostly do it because they believe in the movement to reduce waste and ease the burden on landfills.

"We have grown up as a nation of mass consumers and a throw-away society," Sallie said. "We have to stop that.

"This seems like a small thing," Sallie added about freecycling. "But when there are so many people doing small things, it makes a difference. I think this makes a difference."

Jarred Opatz can be reached at 419-281-0581, ext. 256, or by e-mail at jopatz@times-gazette.com, regarding this story and other story ideas.

Behold the power of vinegar!

Ever since we moved back to this old farm house I have been trying to remove the calcium deposits around the fixtures and on the chrome ring around the drain of our bathroom sink. I’ve tried scrubbing, scouring, using a variety of products to no avail. Finally the other day it occurred to me (Seems I can be a little slow at times, lol!) that if vinegar could clean out the calcium build up in our coffee maker, it might just work on the sink. So I poured some apple cider vinegar into the sink full strength, soaked a couple rags in it and wrapped those around the spigots, leaving the remainder to work on the drain ring. Voila’! Within minutes and with just a little scrubbing and wiping, no more mineral build up on my bathroom sink! So in light of the power of vinegar I thought I would pay it tribute by listing some of the ways I find it to be especially useful. Hope you’ll find them useful, too.

For years I used nothing but vinegar for cleaning windows and glass. It works better than any window cleaner.

As a weed killer we have found nothing better than mixing a cup of salt into a gallon of white vinegar and spraying on weeds. This works and works especially well on a sunny day. Just don’t spray on your ornamental plants or vegetables.

Add vinegar and salt to your water when making hard boiled eggs. This will make peeling them a whole lot easier.

Vinegar and baking soda in the toilet bowl will clean it up spic and span. This combination works well to keep sink drains clean and running smoothly, also. Add about ½ cup baking soda to the drain, followed by ½ cup or more of vinegar. Let bubble, then after about ten minutes pour hot water down the drain.

Soak bird feeders in vinegar to clean them. I’ve found that swishing it around in hummingbird feeders will remove the mildew that can form.

As a child the only sunburn relief product we used was cider vinegar applied undiluted to the skin. Or add a cup or two to a bath. Since vinegar helps normalize the pH of the skins surface it makes sense to me.

Vinegar works well as a laundry additive. ¼ cup to the wash water brightens colors and whites, acts as a fabric softener, inhibits mold, fungus and athlete’s foot germs. It also helps eliminate chemicals and their odors on new clothing.

Use a spray of ½ vinegar and ½ water on shower curtain liners to remove mold or mildew.

Vinegar makes an inexpensive spray on stain remover for clothing.

Relieve insect bites, bee and wasp stings by directly applying vinegar or soaking the affected area in full strength vinegar.

A Good Day, a Great Week

Having the entire week to our selves without having to think, plan or do for others has been a welcome relief. That’s really an understatement, it has been heavenly. We have been able to slide back into our own routine, accomplishing what’s necessary at our own pace while feeling relaxed and peaceful in the process. That is the form of living we try to achieve. Things got quite out of balance for awhile and I think would have continued on that way if I had not taken the initiative to change it. It became a matter of handling the situation and obligations to others with firmness yet diplomacy. Although not spoken of in these terms, the bottom line became this, we are here to assist but we are not indentured servants.

Yesterday was good all the way around…perfect weather and nothing too pressing! The day started out stormy with some much needed rain. (Our garden is happy, happy, happy about that!) The dark clouds soon moved on and we became the recipients of a most perfect July day. I know I comment on the weather often, lol, but it has a big affect on me and my daily agenda. Had it been cool and stormy all day I most likely would have baked bread. But instead I spent as much time outdoors as I could, savoring the billowy white clouds in the majestic blue sky and letting my hair hang loose to allow the heavenly breezes to blow though it. Summer days like these are fleeting and if possible one must breathe them in and savor their essence.

I put a crock pot full of stuffed peppers on to cook in the late morning after which Jarrod the journalist and the photographer arrived right on time for our interview. Coop and I were happy to be able to share what we knew about Freecycle™ and the importance of recycling, I hope the young journalist does a good job of presenting the information. I urged him to revisit their website, both local and national and make note of their mission statement. I also printed off our local groups rules for him to become familiar with as he seemed to know very little about the movement in general. The article should appear in next Wednesday’s paper.

After the interview, Coop got busy and created our fire pit by digging a shallow groove about 3’ wide in the ground on the east side of our driveway area, just about where we had one years before. He gathered field stone from around the silo and old barn bank and hauled them up to the circle. Later in the evening I went out and arranged them and surprisingly there were just the right amount to make a full circle. Now we have a real fire ring to enjoy…and soon I hope!

Earlier while sitting outside under the tree appreciating the day, I finished a book recently loaned by my sister. “Mutant Messages from Down Under” came out in the early 90’s originally. I recall the big hoopla over it at the time because of it being a fictional account of the authors’ Aboriginal adventure in the Outback, a fact that came to light later after it became a big seller. Other authors went on to publish similar first hand accounts of their fictional adventures and so this book read much like “The Celestine Prophecy” or “Emissaries of Light”, with basically the same lessons in oneness spirituality and environmental responsibility. Like MMDU, none exceptionally written, but all with a valid message.

MMDU is one of those easy reads I like to take in during the summer when I am less inclined to read anything of great depth. I’m a highlighter or underliner when I come across a statement that resonates with my spirit. But since this was not my book, I thought it wiser to make notes on scraps of paper of pertinent messages I took from this book. Here are a few thoughts that I wrote down;

We can enrich our lives, give to ourselves and be as creative and happy as we allow ourselves to be.

Most die without ever knowing how it feels to stand naked in the rain.

Possession is the extreme of excluding others for self indulgence.

The end of each species is a step closer to the end of the human species.

There should be no suffering for any creature except what they accept for themselves. (This statement is best understood in the esoteric nature in which it was written and relates to soul purpose.)

***

See ya in the Times-Gazette!

I took the white cotton curtains down from the kitchen window today. In their place I hung sheer white panels, one drawn to each side. There’s something about white, airy curtains billowing in a summer breeze that appeals to my senses. There’s a warm southerly breeze coming through the house, perfectly suited to those curtains I hung and much cooler than the one the day started out with. Thunder rumbled and skies became overcast this afternoon bringing us cooler air and a much needed reprieve. Somebody somewhere was getting rain, but it wasn’t us as I‘d hoped. We are dry, dry, dry here in NE Ohio. The garden would love a good drenching.

I'm in the process of setting up a sewing area upstairs in the small bedroom that's used as a storage area. It will allow me to sew at whim rather than dragging the sewing machine out to the kitchen table each time I want or need to stitch something up. The only reason I hadn’t done this before was I didn’t think I had an appropriate table to use. But as I was sorting and arranging upstairs over the weekend, it occurred to me that the vanity (that was given to me none the less) that is in the so called guest room is the perfect sewing table. I never attached the mirror, so it is just like a desk. And all those nice little drawers on each side will be perfect for storing the sewing essentials and notions. Why didn’t I think of this before!?

I spent the day puttering around the house, catching up with this, that and the other thing. Glad I got it all tidied up, too because tomorrow we’ll have a reporter and photographer here from our local paper, the Ashland Times Gazette. To explain…

Late this spring after planting the garden, I offered my remaining organic tomato plants on Freecycle. One of the takers was a lady named Nancy who worked for the paper and we hit it off on a lot of topics and issues. She emailed me some time after our meeting and asked if Coop and I would be willing to be interviewed about freecycling by ATG. We agreed, but until recently I hadn’t heard much more. After a few email exchanges I received a call today from the fellow today. He’ll be showing up tomorrow around noon with photographer in tow. I think that it’s pretty cool to get interviewed about this plus I think it’s great that the paper is going to put information out there about Freecycle.org. Groovy! See ya in the paper!