Is impatience a Disease?

as per Petual, I am contemplating many things today.

I snarked at my Dad this morning for always being impatient and in a rush. I am scrutinizing my own tendency to always be impatient and in a rush, so I am without denial of this quality in my own self.

When people snip at me and rush me, I start to forget the important things (like my cellphone maybe, or the really important paper I should have grabbed before we drove 2 hours in the truck to get to my X-ray appointment) I feel like my life has been a looping series of craftily apologizing to bureaucrats as to why I am standing in thier presence and have no idea where that requisition form is.

And when I snip and rush my children to join the pointless race of culture we all feel like crap.

I cried once, about paperwork, and wondered if I kept pushing myself hard enough I would ever get to a place where it felt like the pressure was off. Okay I still wonder that today.

I allowed myself to stand in an objective enough perspective this last 30 days to see things as unbiased as I could. I allowed myself to feel the experiences of my lifetime (and own my feelings)
and also put myself in (as best as I can approximate) what I or this world or anything else looks like from everyone else's shoes.

when I stand in the shoes of nobody at all, I see a culture of hurry. of rush rush rush, and of "I HAVE THINGS TO DO" (oh how I have sounded like all of that since I became a parent)

The Impatience disease. The busyness disease. The emptiness disease, I think is how Ember Swift sings it.

when I step back and slow down to embrace a mind that is calm and tethered I see some over there, umbrellas twisted in a hailstorm of thier own device, fighting, fighting fighting against the pressure.

and over there are folks who are breathing. mindfully navigating the challenges. harnessing the power of infinity.

I've been thinking a lot lately about addictions. why we desire altered states of cognizance. how to categorize the various states we think we are wanting to access? this is a question I will be asking Sara, because if anyone has read that textbook it would be her.

I'm kind of curious about Nootropics but I'm also very reluctant to experiment until I'm surrounded by enough safe loving physical bodies. No more Unsupervised Renegade Neuroscience for this girl.

but then, life is entirely composed of Unsupervised Renegade Neuroscience, isn't it? :)

looking back 5 years showed me how beautiful I feel about my relationship with minimalism.
back then it was all about learning to manage the physical clutter:

looking at my old bedroom makes me want to google image search "bookshelf porn" right now!!!....
yup. I did it. I couldn't resist.

Whereas my relationship with minimalism Now has more to do with how I aspire to conduct my relationships. With my children. With my parents, friends, extended family. With my lovers. I'd even extend it to my relationship with the natural world: the garden, the animals, Planet Earth as a whole.

Let Joshua Feilds Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus explain how I feel.

OH! and my self!!!

I have such a choke-hold on my own neck trying to constantly outdo my personal best.

I ask myself so many questions. Why this? What about that?

I read once that "we" (culturally) go shopping because we are looking for something to entertain us. Instead of having a potluck with the neighbors, we think we can buy some kitsch to fill our souls up.

So I started initiating a potluck every time I felt the urge to purchase knick-knacks. Or grabbing some toys my kids were done with and delivering them to a neighbors house. Or even the "phone a friend" lifeline. "Hi! I have nothing to talk about in particular. I just need to change my state so I don't do something pointlessly impulsive."

I've been re-listening (in my mind) to conversation's with my Counselor in Guelph. Great statements like "community means coming into unity". 

I originally went to see Tim Tencher because I wanted to stop alcohol as a behavior pattern. I didn't feel it necessary to quit drinking forever or make statements that I was "weak and powerless" (although I support whichever habit change tactics one chooses and uses)

I've been thinking lately about addictions (smokes/booze/dope/food/television/sex/etc....) and how we use them to escape... or enhance, or whatever... for me its the boredom of constantly being under pressure. Does anyone else feel ennui and duress at the same time?

I think of all the addictions I have overcome and how much better I feel in contrast to when they had a grip on me. I think of all the addictions, or even minor behavior patterns I want to improve NOW. RIGHT NOW. okay, actually tomorrow.

because I remind myself that it's not healthy to hold myself to impossible standards of perfection.

I promised myself I will be able to look back and remember being patient and fun loving with my kids, who are my world, and that I am not going to be that person If I am trying to live up to impossible standards. ***oooh let's see If I can never eat simple carbohydrates ever again***

pffft. *rolls eyes* Unrealistic Idealism.

Whenever I am not sure about a choice I am making, I ask myself "am I making this choice out of fear or love."

If a choice is causing me to be an impatient busy jerk-face it's generally made from fear.

Yes I want to be a good leader, and work with others to be great leaders together.
and that is happening. 

I'm letting myself enjoy the rest of age 30. sink in and celebrate the endurance test I took to get here. and relax. breathe. focus. direct my mind. find a way to share my gifts with those who seek them in a way that serves our mutual benefit. Nobody wins when I hold myself to impossible standards.

Take a Look - It's in a Book

I love this memory.

*The Lightbulb Moment*

 Clearly a flash of inception caught on film. It looks like we are getting a brilliant idea.

What could it possibly be? There's no way to say for sure, exactly.

There's me, I'm a Pirate, I guess, and backing me is the lovely accountant, Judy, the DJ'ing Nun.
You can only see his sleeve, but that's Ben, Zoraya's Father, dressed as a zombie bike courier. He was a Pirate on the previous night of Halloween weekend extravaganza. "that's what I'm being," I said. We talked about learning how to be nicer to each-other, and responsible, and co-operative.

What else happened this night. Don had a breakup I guess and then an extra ticket to Cuba. "Come with me stasia!" he asked. I explained that I couldn't accept, I'd never be able to pay it back. "Pay it forward" he commanded. He told me stories about everyone who had helped him through all his hard times: Divorce, Career Changes, Bankruptcy, whatever other honest human mistakes and drama had befallen him. He spoke of these kindhearted loving folks who had taken him traveling, scuba diving, and how all they wanted was for him to pay it forward. So he was.

"I can't accept." I said.
"Come on" he persisted. "there's nobody else who's going to be as fun to travel with as you"
"Hey!" said Ben. "Just Go! Buddy wants to take you on a trip to Cuba! How often is that going to happen to ya?! Go! Have fun!"

So I did. And we had so much fun!

I am writing this is Oliver's Coffee in Bracebridge and the couple came in and next to me started talking all about Cuba while I type. The universe loves to play mind-games with me.

So what exactly was the Brilliant Idea striking me in this photo? Who could say?
There's no way to know.
However.
I remember doing the Time Warp!!!!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!!!! Pirates dance with Nuns Who rock DJ habits!!!
(that's a double entendre for all you xenoliguists.)

TAKE A LOOK! IT"S IN A BOOK!  (because the universe is so wonderful like that):

and here's a link to the PDF to enjoy it on your screen right now through the magic of satellites and electricity!:

The Pirate's Dilemma, by Matt Mason!

he's also got some great videos on you tube if you like someone else to read it to ya.

Minimalism Day 24/25 - I party.

Original Minimalism Blog. May 9 2011

Come One Come All to the Mothers Day Celebration

You don't have to use your imagination

to meet the best Mom in the whole wide world

She is over there knitting, with brown hair curled

Watch, as she smiles with joy and glee

sipping her loose-leaf jasmine tea.

My mom likes to sing to the Rolling Stones,

and laughs as she threatens to break your bones.

My mom sweeps the floor "a hundred times a day"

(she makes all of the crumbs anyway)

My Mom attends a quilting guild

My mom drinks her rice milk chilled.

When my Mom is sad it breaks me apart

I love my Mom with all my heart.

________________________________

So usually on my days off I clean up the disastrous mess I have let accumulate in my house.

This weekend, however, I was intrigued, to discover a new occasion that I could include myself in.

You heard me right. Weekend. Yes. I am pretty adept at turning any special day into a long drawn out festival.

See also "stasia's birthday weekend": A 3 or 4 day extravaganza.

I chose to play in my garden as a mothers day present to myself.

(Read a few whining Mom anecdotes/blogs this weekend complaining that all they get every year are brown paper bag craft projects.boo-hoo. COME ON LADIES. assert yourselves. Own the day. Do whatever-the-fuck you want. Make it yours.)

Since Friday afternoon I have been busy re-arranging the lawn. (props to Sara Mae right here)

To say the house is completely trashed would be an understatement..

My socks, colorful little balls which I kick off impulsively, decorate the floor at random; Baby and Adult outfits which I layer on and off relative to the temperature are scattered throughout the kitchen, bathroom, living room, hallways, as well as in massive piles in Zoraya's room & My room too. No surface is without a book, magazine, newspaper article, child's toy, or little cloth re-purposed pajama scrap that I use for wipes.

When I hung out with Andree, I watched her spread blankets out on the floor to play in. My so-called "blanket parties" are now a daily event, so there is a pile of blankets in every room too. Datsun likes to share them.

I also have not done the dishes since Thursday. I can use about 30 dishes to make one meal because I am "creating some experimental culinary masterpiece".

The Bathroom desperately needs some organization, and there is coca-cola splashed on all of the porcelain, from 2 Litre bottle that was left here and nobody would drink. A few weeks ago I asked Liz if we could use it to clean things, I had heard Coke was good for that.

We, giggling like crazy, poured it in. Watching it bubble and foam, I told her about this science fair project I did in grade 5 about putting metal into various liquids to see which one would rust the fastest)

This is a "let it mellow" household. I wanted to see if it would melt the mineral stains off. Not that I am super-picky about that kind of thing. Its a toilet. Why does something you're going to pee in again in 5 minutes need to be regularly bleached to oblivion with hardcore chemicals??? Must be one of those keeping up with the Joneses fads. I say keeping up with the poisoning of the ocean.

These Notes can get really off topic.

Anyhow, to top it off, I have tracked garden mud though the entire house because

I don't take my shoes off if I don't feel like it. (I also skateboard in the hallway from time to time, just to remind myself that I own a house and can pretty much do whatever I want.)

So. thoughts on the "stuff challenge"...

I was supposed to do some shopping with Elizabeth yesterday. I went to meet her the mall, where she was getting pink hair. I begrudged the entire drive there that I wanted to be playing in the garden still.

There was no parking.

I thought what the heck is everyone doing at the mall on this beautiful day???!!!

Wait. What am I doing here...?!

So I went and bailed on Liz and her awesome pink hair, because there was nothing in the mall I could even think of that I wanted. (except like, 70% of what 'Chapters' has in stock, but that's another story for another blog post)

Drove home figuring that was 45 minutes of my life I will never get back, but an important lesson learned. I would rather play in dirt than accumulate more possessions.

***

I passed out on the couch at about 6:30 tonight.
Summer naps are different from winter sleeps, in that, its not a drowsy-cozy-hibernation feel.
Its a played-so-hard-&-now-have-sunburn-chills-exhaustion.

Decide I enjoy the messy house, because I will clean it eventually, and if a clean house is more important than all of the ridiculous fun you can have, what a boring existence.

Yesterday and today's eliminations are some objects Kelly and I grabbed a few summers ago when she spotted them at the Scrap Yard.

An old wrought Iron stove (she was going to fix it when she became a blacksmith)

and what I think might be a patio table base.

I call them my "decorative fire place" and my "decorative wagon wheel"

but now I will return them to the scrapyard and therefore it just counts as we "borrowed" them.

Various Minimalism III

Day 20 - Haiku May 2 2011

too many magnets

not enough space on the fridge

oh! what shall I do?

such polarized joy

must not be disposed of in

just any old way

fun words which you can

re-arrange to your liking

need creative homes

these sticky poems

I will disperse at random

oh aren't you hopefull

on your car, front door,

or other surface; I might

leave you a message

Day 21 - These Boots Were Not Made For Walking, and other uncomfortable clothing items May 3rd 2011

Today I misjudged the weather. I dressed for a "warm, sunshiney" day.

I was freezing and grumpy, because even though I LOVE the rain & it is going to create another awesome harvest this year, I am Super bitter about the cold rain today. (You win Adrianna. - but you will be thankful too when you are eating your apple butter...)

All day I had that feeling when your sweater is two sizes too small, and you didnt even think you would really wear it much past running to the car as you were late for work in the morning, but now you've been cold and damp all day and you are going to cut the sweater up into little bits as soon as you get home so you will never accidentally grab it again thinking it is your other blue sweater, and you will make those bits into cleaning rags, but save the fun logo parts, and make some kind of hippie t-shirt scrap quilt, just as soon as you learn how to sew...

Anyhow.

This week I have noticed YAY all my clothes that fit me again are now becoming "too big"

I have already freecycled 6 bags of clothes this year.

I am giving it my best effort to stop dressing like a 12 year old boy.

My goal over the past few months has been to wear all the fashions I keep for "someday, when I become an 'x' kind of person, who "wears skirts and stuff", or "works in an office place", or "uses an iron for some reason other than getting Ed to wax our snowboards"...

So I have been trying to incorporate these peices into my daily wardrobe.

It is hard. Kate and I have discussed this;

Reason #1. Because when I wear stupid sparkly cleavage shirts I feel like an imposter, and I am just waiting for someone at the bank to be like "CAUGHT YA!- WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITHOUT YOUR HOODED SWEATSHIRT???"

Reason #2. Skirts do not meet the demand for functionality in my life. Climbing fences with muddy dogs to get to the "really good hiking spots" Climbing Ladders to drill holes or inspect smoke alarms. It's like the Jewelry thing. Sure, it's "pretty", but how pretty do you look with your arm tangled in a dough mixer, or your neck twisted around a lathe...

Lastly, I only ever seem to wear a selection of my 50 or so favorites from everything I own, so why not just keep it at that?

Or at least attempt to get it down to a number somewhere close.

Today I am discarding another pile of clothes that I am not totally in love with.

Day 22 - Nevermind May 4th 2011

Farewell to the rendition of Kurt Cobain that Greg Pool doodled for the art-athon that year we did the 30 Hour Famine and Tim and I lit the carpet in the foyer on fire and it set off some kind of detector and the fire-trucks pulled up and we ran, and we never got caught even though there were video camera's all through the building. Or else that was the night of "Starsearch"... High School was a blur.

What else could I write? I don't have the right.

Days 23 & 24 - Junk I found on top of my fridge May 6th 2011

1 banana hanger

Seriously who out there is hanging their bananas??? The only reason I have one is because I found it in the university move-out purge dumpster excursion last May and thought - Oh gee I guess I could hang my banana's on this...

1 unusual shaped rad vase/jug

Kind of has the effect of Blue Mountain Pottery only it is orangey-red. Has a very wide flat base, thin neck & spout for pouring. Has been mistaken for a bong/requested to be turned into one on several occasions

Minimalism Day 19 - Life Captured

Day 19 - Life Captured May 1st 2011

The following are poignant topics Dave spoke on in 100 thing that really resonated with me:

1. Don't get so caught up in trying to "capture a moment" that you miss the moment altogether.

2. Don't hold on to an object because you have this vision that it will magically make you into something that you are not.

His specific examples were

1. obsessing over filming his daughters ballet recital or school play and not fully appreciating that it was happening in real time

2. getting rid of his magnificent scale model trains and woodworking tools because they would not, respectively, buy back his childhood days of missed opportunity miniature railroad building with his father, or, make him into a burly, 6 foot tall, rustic carpenter...

Todays "get rid of" is an item that falls under both of these categories.

_____________________________

SONY Video Camera Recorder

Handycam Video 8 (circa 1994)

CCD-FX230

_____________________________

Vikki Gave me the Video Camera from "stuff that survived the fire" I think.

I am giving up (if only temporarily) my fantasy that I am an independent filmmaker.

I am clearly not one.

And besides. I have another Sony Camcorder in a drawer. And it has a malfunctioning battery also.

We all want lots of memories to hold on to.

I take A LOT of pictures of Paj cuz, well, they invented this thing called the digital camera. Remember back in the day when you didn't take a zillion pictures of the same thing in order to get the perfect shots? Because film is expensive yo!

But inasmuch as I enjoy making her into my small/adorable subject/model, I would rather just be playing with her.

Dave is right. Life is always moving forward. How much time is one really going to have to re-watch all those hours of tapes of "my kid playing in the yard"? and edit them and make them into cute little home movies... Don't get me wrong, I want them as much as the next guy...

(as I am writing this I flash back to Mr Hawkins AV class. I LOVED IT... I remember being graded a sympathy pass of 51%...

["heres your technology credit. please don't take my class again..."]

Possibly why the award winning cutting edge indie film producer dream never came to fruition

Even as I make the freecycle post, I still envision that someday, it will happen...)

I think a lot of the best memories come from random other sources. Like when I am sorting baby clothes into 'give away' & 'keep' piles.

(Cuz I am keeping the good stuff. For the next 5 babies I hope to have. Nope,  not even joking.)

Sometimes I could just cry at the smallness and the sweetness and the cuteness of these little outfits.

All I have to do is hold a little sweater or sock or something and get all these flashbacks of all these incredible times that have occurred... Precious times that fly by ridiculously fast... Times that probably wouldn't be as cool if I was fixated on setting up a great wide angle shot and getting it in correct focus.

And now, to completely contradict myself, Here's one from Yesterday.

"Pajke in Scillas." or "first time picking flowers" note the no pants awesomeness.

Various Minimalism Posts II

Day 16 - “Poli” a Latin word meaning “many”; and "tics" - "small parasitic creatures”.  April 29th 2011

I

I had some election signs in my garage from a number of years ago when I was CEO for the Wellington/Halton Green Party. I was not the right person for this position, because canvasing is totally against my beliefs. I feel that I should be able to shoot door to door solicitors with my paint ball gun. If I want to hear what someone has to yap about, I will seek them out. Don't bother me during my family time thankyouverymuch.

It was my idea for the party to adopt the stretch along highway 124, though admittedly I have yet to ever attend a road cleanup... and likely never will... picking up someone else's misplaced garbage at 9 AM on a Saturday hasn't been something I've made time for yet.

I do my part for mother earth by using my dryer less than a dozen times a year.

anyhow.

Returned the Election signs to their rightful Candidate last night. Minus a bunch of the wire frames, which I used for growing tomatoes during the summer that  Sara lived with me....

At this point in my life, I feel that if I had to classify my political views they would fall under the category of "Anarchist"

If I do find myself near wherever I am supposed to vote on Monday with Election Card in Hand, I will cast my ballot. If not, It is because my current interest in politics is less than zero.

I have always felt that the Green Party is far too disorganized to run the Country. I am a huge fan of their Environmental Platforms, But I suppose I would like to see a Proportional Representation system adopted by Canada to support such a vast and diverse nation. Who knows...? I may even vote liberal this year. I've got good vibes about Micheal Ignatieff.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish Brent good luck in the upcoming election & thank him for returning some of my motivational tapes (yes yes, I am a motivational tape junkie...) AND with them was BEST OF ALL MY MISSING TRAILER PARK BOYS DVD!!!!fuck yeah!!!

Day 17 - Storage Solutions! May 1st 2011

*1 day behind in these posts due to complete and total exhaustion from awesome childcare job*

2 Ikea Cardboard Boxes.

They are white with red blue green and yellow polka dots.

Dimensions are 48x34x36cm
Ikea names them "Lingo Cirkel"
isn't that fun to say?
great for a kids bedroom.

1 brown (gold? bronze?) colored gift bag
It came with my birthday present from Nikki in it.
I generally save & re-use gift bags and tissue paper and wrapping paper
but this one didn't quite make it (no offense nik)
I will probably get rid of many "baby" themed gift bags in future post.

1 black portable file system.
probably I should be using this for my taxes because it has all the right slots
but I have not used it since its purchase when I was 15.
my accountant can confirm this.

1 metal (steel?) rack. Looks like it would also be awesome for hanging file folders...
I have stared at it for weeks trying to figure out what to do with it.
It came bolted into my kitchen cupboards... and I have never used it in the 5 years I have lived here...
I want to keep it so badly. I put Andree's book in one of the slots and thought I could use it to hang some books on the wall... or maybe a combo of books and the stash of people who don't live here's mail that gets delivered to my house.
But then I remembered I have bookshelves. and Sara might never come back for her Bank Statements. and Tory probably doesn't want her War Amps Key Tags so unusual metal rack is making the cut tonight

12 Children's Outfit Hangers.
I hang my clothes in a pile on the floor.

Various Minimalism Posts I

Day 6 - ♪ Creature of the Night ♫ April 18th 2011

Had a slightly broken lawn ornament gargoyle that used to light up until someone removed the solar panel from it.

Left it under a tree in the park on my nighttime jog so that if someone wants it, its theirs and if not, I will still enjoy seeing it every day.

Day 7 - Carnivorous-Vulgaris April 19th 2011

Wile E. Coyote mug. Packed into suitcase to be delivered to my cousin Stephen for Easter! A hand-me-along, courtesy of Nikki's Grandmother. along with 4 other Looney Tunes mugs which were already freecycled to a lady who emailed me shortly thereafter to report how much her children appreciated them!

(and Stephen- if you don't want / already have enough of them, it is now yours to freecycle!)

Day 8 - Freecycled an LED touch light April 20th 2011

Pretty much exactly as described in the title.

Days 9, 10, 11 & 12 April 21st 2011

Made and porch dropped (in traditional rabbit fashion) an Easter Basket filled with "found items" and etc.

Enough kitsch in there to count for my entire 4 day weekend worth of posts.

Hippity, Hoppity down that bunny trail.

Day 13 - on my way to a clutter-free life April 26 2011

Freecycled some picture frames. They are nice but I have had them 2 years and never hung them on the walls so likely I never will. Left behind by someone who dumpstered them a few years ago.

Lazy post today. Worn out from the busiest weekend. Zoraya slept all day and gave me lots of time to make a pile of things I will use for this weeks material-liberation.

Day 14 - Orgasmic Hair Products, etc... April 27th 2011

I read a while back that if you stopped washing your hair it would stop being greasy.

Yes, you have to go through an awkward itchy phase, but then the oils (that secrete from your head?) would cease trying to compensate their constantly being stripped away.

about the evil parabens and other gross-ness that was in them when I was pregnant. (these toxins are also found in and hand lotion and pretty much any cosmetic product. Not too difficult to rid my life of these because I haven't worn makeup since I was 14 years old, and I found coconut oil to be a more effective and cheaper moisturizer than anything Id ever used before. ($8.29 at bulk barn for a jar that lasted me 8 months... and if all else fails you can bake with it...

Anyhow. Used a variety of "organic" shampoos. Tea tree oil will melt the dandruff right off your scalp if need be. I also like cider vinegar for enhanced shine. Highly recommended if you want to smell like a fish and chip stand when you come out of the bath. Kate also made me a homemade blend for my birthday which I quite enjoy. It's pepperminty.

The last time I washed my hair I used Kate's stuff and that was Thursday night.

(getting it wet doesn't count as washing it, I have showered since Thursday...)

and i just noticed when I fell into bed contemplating what to write about today, too tired to have the shower I had fantasized about earlier, that... My hair is not greasy!!! and the awkward itching phase happened mostly at my grandmothers house in front of my relatives who will love me even if I am a dirty hippie.

So I guess I will list all my remaining travel shampoos (which I noticed are stashed in my suitcase) on the freecycle.
October 2016 Update: I stopped using even *organic* shampoo or products in my hair in May 2013 and only scrub it with baking soda approximately twice/week. The cost is great, I get 8 boxes of arm&hammer at Costco for like $5.89. Once is a while I might do something like put coconut oil in my hair and once when I had a bunch of mosquito bites I washed it with some Farmers Market Caledula Hippie Soap. I went on a date to the Gravernhurst Farmers Market with a sweet Midwife Hippie Girl and she loved to garden and spoke of all the plants that can remove the itch of mosquito bites. I would like to make a green salve out of the plants.

Day 15 - Half the Makings of a Romantic EveningMy Freecycle Post today:______________________
1 glass Vase. holds a medium-large bouquet of flowers. (*flowers not included) kind of like vertical stripes in the glass down the whole thing. Its probably about 12 inches tall.also:2 tea light candles. They are a light blue hue.
You already have half the makings of a romantic dinner for your sweetheart right here.
Porch Pickup, East End
Please state desired day and approximate time of pickup______________________________________________The Vase was from my brother, it held flowers the Day Zoraya was Born. Its nice, but I already own 3 or 4 vases and I am gifted flowers only now and then.The candles were from my mom; I sent Ra-con to her so she could repair his ear and his ear was in a little glass star shaped tea light holder.

My mom doesn't burn candles so I guess she figured she could pass them on to me seeing as I have candle holders.

I however, do not burn toxic paraffin candles either. Only beeswax, and only if I know I am staying put, because I am the type to wander off and burn down my house and I didn't have home insurance for 7 months of last year, so I was especially not taking any unnecessary risks.

Minimalism Day 5 - How to be a Zelda

Day 5 - How to be Zelda in under 30 minutes April 17th 2011

"Wear flesh colored swimsuits so people think you swim in the nude... Spin, spin, until the world is fast and heady, keep spinning in the revolving door of your hotel for half an hour, maybe more... don't stop before it's made an impression on you, on everyone! Don't ride in taxi's, ride on top of them! Pull fire alarms for the hell of it and when they answer your call, point to your breasts, that's where the fire is after all!

Dancing on tables, and diving into fountains..."

___________________________________________________________________

1 nursing bra:

size B36, bought it for $25 at wal-mart wore it only a few times because

I don't think I really understand the point of nursing bras, my regular bras work fine.

Cream colored.

Porch pick up, East End

http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/FreecycleGuelph/

Did You Know??? Erin has a freecycle group too! Check it out all you townies!!!

___________________________________________________________________

So Yesterday's Freecycle Feminine Hygiene products were a hot ticket item and were claimed first thing this morning.

Not Only that but someone emailed me just to give me props for using the Diva.

Marie and I found ourselves in electronic conversation effervescing on topics from the delight of natural homebirth to the joy of not owning a television.

 She has written a book which can be found here 

My bra does not appear to be that coveted of an item so it may end up at the Bibles For Missions thrift store across the road. Either that or it will be worked into my next project "learning to sell stuff on e-bay"...

***

(Zelda Fitzgerald style intro adapted from this site and Our Grade 10 History Project)

October 2016 Update: I stopped wearing Bra's altogether and eliminated my chronic back pain. I also read an essay once that suggested bra's might be linked to breast cancer. that's right. I said go tell all the women to burn thier bras.

Minimalism Day 4 - Menstruation is Awesome

Day 4. Menstruation is Awesome!!! April 16 2011

I was reading something the other day to the effect of "women should really celebrate menstruating, instead of being ashamed of it." I wholeheartedly agree. I can make a person.

I just found the article here it is!

So, I purchased the Diva cup a few weeks ago

When I got my first period again on my birthday. (The New Moon! Ask Tom Robbins about cycling with the moon.)

Now I never have to buy tampons again.

When my mom and I were sewing infant cloth diapers out of the flannelet trimmings saved from pajamas/boxers she has made for me and Collin over the years, we noticed that the little bitty ones looked just like pantyliners. so now that Zoraya has mostly outgrown them, that is exactly what they will function as..

So today I Freecycle the package of disposable pads my Mom gave me to use postpartum.

Ill have to admit - I "Always" find those things horrid but yeah, they did came in handy after giving birth.

The Official Freecycle Posting:

___________________________________________________________________________

To:   FreecycleGuelph@yahoogroups.ca From:   stasia_cat <stasiabryant@hotmail.com>Date:   Sun Apr 17, 2011 2:15 am Subject:  Offer- Offer- Always Ultra Thin Pads and some Kotex Pantyliners

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Almost full 48 Package of Always Ultra Thin pads.

were given to me for use after giving birth.

I only took about 3 from this pack.

Also 10 Kotex Pantyliners (currently in a Tampax box)

that were in my stash under the bathroom counter.

I have switched to cloth & Diva Cup so I no longer need them.

They are nicely packaged in a Hudson's Bay Co. Striped Cloth Bag

(that I also happen to be getting rid of)

because it Got Jammed in the front wheel of my bicycle

when I was riding to Tim's House when I was 14

It has a scuff mark and a small hole in it now.

Porch Pickup - East End

Please state desired day & approximate Time in response

___________________________________________________

Minimalism Day 3 - No News is Good News

Day 3. No News is Good News. April 16 2011

Called the Tribune (from my skype number!) and requested to no longer have it delivered to my house. They agreed to remove me from the list

Tried to send the following email to the Pennysaver as I'm not sure Skype is able to call the 1-800 number...

____________________________________________________________________________

TO:distribution@guelphpennysaver.com

SUBJECT:May I please un-subscribe to the Pennysaver

Hello.

I wish to no longer receive the "pennysaver" or related publications.

 My request to un-subscribe is for environmental purposes, I think your paper is a great concept.

This household, however is just not interested in reading a buy and sell flyer. We place it directly into the recycle bin.

 Furthermore, your delivery employees often fail to put it into my mailbox, leaving it on my front steps, where it blows around in the wind and I have to pick it out of my shrubbery most weeks.

 My address is ##################### [not on facebook]

 Thank-you!

Have a fabulous weekend.

 Regards,

Stasia Bryant

_____________________________________________________________________________

Unfortunately, The email bounced back. I will keep trying. and tomorrow I will put up a sign on my mailbox politely stating "No papers or flyers". I am currently putting out a bag of recycling about every 4-6 weeks and about 75% of it consists of advertisements and free newspapers I never look at.

Minimalism Day 2. The Plastic Wars.

Day 2. the plastic wars April 15 2011

My Mom re-uses everything. Yogurt tubs, bread bags, all the itty bitty scraps of soap she mashes together into a bar that becomes my Dad's "garage soap" for washing machine grease off his hands. She saves the rinse water from her laundry cycle and buckets it out of the laundry sink back into the washing machine to become the wash cycle for the next load.

This is where I have learned these awesome frugal habits.

They will save you many dollars over your lifetime.

Sometimes I use my bathwater to flush the toilet, even bucket it into the washing machine, but I am a bit afraid I will slip and fall going down the basement stairs hauling giant pails. A broken arm incurred by saving a bucket of H2O is not going to serve me as a single mother with a 6 month old baby.

I last cleaned through my "plastic bag and container collection" in mid summer. I have not accumulated a crazy amount since then, (I use re-use-able shopping bags and usually just toss my vegetables right into the cart) but still  have enough baggies to explode everywhere each time I open the "plastic bag drawer." I have been purchasing everything I buy at the bulk barn in 3lb polybags and re-purposing them as "stasia's healthy homeade instant oatmeal mix" bags but now I have way more bags than oatmeal portions and they aren't wearing out fast enough.

So I'm switching to buying all my bulk and vegetables in mesh or cotton bags. I currently have three, that came wrapping baby stuff given to Zoraya. I'm going to ask my mom if she can help me sew some more. Until then I will re-use the plastic bags that I have, which I will be doing anyways until they are all gross enough to get rid of for good.

When grocery stores stopped giving out plastic bags, I hoarded all the ones that came into my possession, to use to line the wastebaskets throughout my house. I don't use them fast enough either. I usually carry a few on me, to put wet cloth diapers into, but most of the time I just toss the used diapers onto the car floor, otherwise I forget about them for weeks before I have a chance to launder them. That was fine in the winter, discovering a random days worth of cloth balls of frozen pee, but now with the season change... the smell of cooking baby urine in my car on a hot day...

So. my new challenge is to bring no more plastic bags into my life. I have attempted this the last 2 days in preparation. Pre-packaged stuff is going to be the hard one. I can tell. I guess I'm going to have to buy only fresh bread... Maybe hit up With the Grain on a more regular basis

Why do I hate the stuff so much? because I don't need a body full of Xenoestrogens. (You should wikapedia it if you've never heard that term before) Furthermore, I want to stop contributing to that garbage patch in the ocean. I actually think every family should be forced to live with their garbage for a year, just to get a sense of it...I must say, I am proud of my household. it usually takes us over 2 months to fill one these days. Even when there was 6 people living here, we only produced one every 4-6 weeks. Way to go guys!

Tomorrow's exciting challenge: Cancel the Tribune and the Penny Saver, and put a note on the mailbox for no advertisements!!!

 

The Original Minimalism Project

You may remember the Minimalism Project that turned into my very first "blog". It had a overwhelmingly good response, because I was super in love while I was writing. It was actually how I discovered my narrative as a writer. Someone asked me this past winter how I write well. "I don't consider myself to be a good writer. but thank you for the compliment. Just write as if you're writing Love Letters", I said. "Only write them to the Entire Universe. Make it your job to fall in Love with the entire universe every day."
Hey. It worked 5 years ago.
and like Dr. Phil says, people do what works.

inspired by the 100 thing challenge!  April 14th 2011

if you try to call me, I will not come.

I am liberated of the phone!

Your text will bounce back? or whatever texes do...

I have dreamed of this day since I was 17 years old and my Dad said I "had to" have a phone.

I feel so ridiculously free and awesome right now!!!

So. Yesterday I read an amazing book called the "100 thing challenge" in which this fellow tries to live with only 100 possessions for a year. This is an idea I have been fascinated with increasingly, even since before the purchase of this house... Due to not enough space to put "stuff".

Dave lays out his ground rules; He doesn't impose this on the family. Shared items (couch, kitchen table) don't count. Socks and underwear don't count. All of his books count as "one library" etcetera.

I am guilty of loving "stuff". I am surrounded by it. I hadn't gotten rid of anything pretty much my whole life up until the last few years. My parents saved everything from my childhood it seems. "Oh here honey, its a folder of all of your schoolwork from grades 2 through 4, now you have a house to store it in you have to keep it."

Ugh. its sweet, but its trapping. I would like to travel.

I would very much like to travel.

The care-free freedom of the freegan anarchist kids is what really set me off.

Here I am trapped under a mountain of junk I am not quite done paying for, and those guys are off having adventures.

Grrr.

But I neeeeeed all this junk.....

Even as I read Dave's thorough account of his challenge, I thought, I can't do this. I love my stuff...

But I decided I could start out differently. Tweak the ground rules to suit me... For Example.

Rule #1. Books don't count (as a birthday present to myself, that day I spent much of my time organizing my bookshelves. *twinkly eyes*)

Rule #2. Shared stuff doesn't count. (I run a household where people come and go intermittently. Furniture and whatnot is communal)

Rule #3. Kitchen stuff doesn't count. (Because I need 3 Blenders. I can also justify this by saying it belongs to the household...)

Rule #4. I am allowed to have a bunch of socks and underwear. I also love fashion. I own hundreds of different and strange articles, yet I wear the same pants and sweater every single day. I have given away about 6 large garbage bags full of clothes in two months and still am surrounded, so I will probably re-visit this topic soon.

Rule #5. Pajke's stuff doesn't count, what's given to her is hers. On the contrary, this is not a warehouse for outgrown infant outfits and baby contraptions, so they do get passed along.

Rule #6 Music falls under the category "library" like Dave says, I have One Library!

Okay. so that's a start. I also decided today as I pondered how I would approach this, that Instead of attempting to own "only 100 items" I will try and get rid of at least one thing every day for a year.

Day One. Phone!!!  *checkmark!*

Stay tuned for day 2... Plastic bags and containers!!!