What Keeps You From Living A Sustainable Life?

I try piece by piece to make my life more in line with nature. But that sounds so cliche', and defining a sustainable lifestyle is not totally cut and dry. There are variations, nuances, and debates as to what a truly natural lifestyle is...

but by your own definition (which I'd love if you'd share too) what is the thing that most keeps you from being able to fully partake, live, and love a sustainable, earth aligned life?

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For me there are many more things I would like to do to be light footed on this planet. Not because I think the earth won't ever recover from our mistakes but because it feels right, it is something I can pass on to the people who will be born long after I die. Less pollution for their bodies, less disease for all living things. I can pass on cleaner water and fresher air.

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Here is my list::::

• I would like to be off electricity, off grid (aka i want solar panels or a complete non electric set up).
• I would like to have classes on identifying all native plants in my area.
• I would like to learn to hunt for protein foods (aka, less grocery dependence).

Here is what keeps me from having accomplished these goals::::

• MONEY .... solar panels cost big bucks
• money.... no seems to teach this shit for free
• Money..... ditto from above

Tell me your lists and thoughts, what is your biggest obstacle? If it's money, tell me your second biggest too!

DIY: White Trash Jungle Jean Shorts

Yesterday when I was working around the cabin I ripped the knee of yet another freakin' pair of organic jeans! Luckily I got them for a nominal price off e-bay, so I had no problem turning the ailing denim into a pair of short shorts! In fact, I was kinda waiting for something like this to happen so I could try out my idea....
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MATERIALS NEEDED:

• old jeans
• scissors
• string, ribbon, hemp, cord or something similar
• hammer & nail w/ small piece of wood (OR) an awl

STEP 1: I took a pair of shorts that already fit me so I could get a basic measurement for the length of my new jean shorts... only with denim it's better to cut a lil' extra first cause you can always cut more off later after trying them on.
I added an extra 2 inches (plus) when I cut the length, cause I wanted to be able to roll them up.

STEP 2: I then took my side seams and cut them completely open. Since the jeans were a little loose on me, i cut out an extra quarter inch to help them tighten up (once I laced them back together.)

STEP 3: Since I don't yet own an AWL, I decided to use a hammer and nail with a piece of wood to punch holes up the side seams. These holes are going to be used to lace up the sides of the shorts like a corset.

STEP 4: For laces I used chemical free brain tanned buckskin, in order to make the ends easy to lace with I put a tiny bit of oil on the edge and then burned it. This makes the brain tanned buckskin harden and can be used as it's own needle.

I laced evenly up the sides using the holes punches with the hammer and nail....

Once I laced from bottom to top, I simply tied a knot at the top, then did the other side of the shorts exactly the same way.

Best CheCk It BeFoRe Ya Wreck It!

These jean shorts are the best kind of rock -n- roll jungle safari trash style!!! And with those laces, it's adjustable! :)))

FINISHED SASS & TRASH SHORTS :::::::

YAY!!!! Now time to go back to work, and I hope these don't rip like the jeans did...

XOXOXoox

Man In a Mini House

I met this guy, let's call him "Mikey", living in the tiniest of all tiny spaces eva' ... and even though he was not necessarily keen on his tiny house situation I found the basics of his survival to be poetic and just plain cool.
His temporary home in the 'shed' house can't be more then 6 feet by 12 feet... (give or take 2 feet on each side cause i didn't measure) with no running water or real electric source, just an extension cord for a basic thing or two. Mikey washes his hands in the creek below his tiny abode, the creek he has made into a rock landscaped personal oasis for himself.
When he tried running a heater inside the house, the uncovered eaves had invited all types of insects and birds into the roof - so wasps and ladybugs began squeezing out the ceiling cracks, and he'd wake up to a wasp resting on his pillow. He chose not to spray them though cause of the birds making their nests in there too. Instead he makes a fire at night to warm up to outside.
Mikey is a naturalist, private kind of guy - just him and his really sweet dog. I really enjoyed warming by the fire and petting the dog, the dog liked sitting on my feet and putting it's tail dangerously close to the fire. I liked dreaming of tiny house living.

Normally I'd talk about how much people LOVE their tiny eco savvy homes, but Mikey does not like it... there is still so much potential in that simple structure, which was built for "jus' $900" ... i could see a wood stove being put underneath, walling in the bottom to have two tiny stories in the space, the bottom being for heat and cooking, the top for resting. With all the free supplies you can get on craigslist these days, building this kind of tiny structure, or just finishing up an existing one like this could be done virtually for free.

Do any of ya'll have a favorite mini house?! What is the smallest space you'd be willing to live?

XoXo

Set Up Yo Crib For Free Using Craigslist!

Did ya ever notice on Craigslist (the ultimate free classifieds of the interwebs) there is a section where people give stuff away for free? Reminiscent of New York City garbage nights, you could fill an empty house up in one week by scouting the consumer overflow on the free section of craigslist in your city - for all your furnishings and hobbies! Including your moving boxes (cause there's so much free shit to pick up you might need some boxes)!

So, you might wanna get that Free Tv and then realize you have nowhere to put it.... but oh, here is a free black entertainment center to put it on. Of course, you need a lazy boy or couch to sit back and relax on while you watch your free TV and all those free old school VHS tapes. And a free dog or cat(maybe rabbit) to keep ya warm and loved, right??
You can blow dry your dog's fur after giving him a bath, and then go to bed on your free mattress propped up on your free wooden futon frame. When you wake up refreshed from your nap, you can start your gardening project with your free gardening tools, and build your compost pile and raised beds with some free tractor tires and free leaf mulch. Plus catch some rain water in your free 55 gallon drums. If gardening doesn't suit ya, cause it's freezing cold out, you can always start sewing on your free sewing machine!!! Or maybe learn some new recipes on your free electric stove and put ya leftovers in your free fridge.
Talk about saving big $$ on the common modern day luxuries and pastimes! And super eco not to have to rely on walmart and other big box stores to deliver the goods for you.


plus there is always next week... when more clothes, pianos, animals, furniture, Tv's, and services are offered for free! (Always beware of scammers and spammers on craigslist, and otherwise partake in the FREE LOADING!)

XoXo

Animal Evidence

There's bunches of reasons to observe the evidence animals leave behind - in the woods or even around your suburban home. The main reason is just for the sheer joy of seeing how awesome and intelligent nature really is, which cultivates a great respect for the earth we live on (observing is my most favorite thing to do), but then there are things like half your flock of chickens is wiped out in a night and you need to know what animal you are dealing with in order to secure your hens properly (raccoon, fox, owl, hawk, coyote...). An even more basic reason to follow the behavior of animals is for survivalist reasons, and I don't mean being a survivalist just for fun or in fear of apocalyptic doom but I mean the economy being so bad that it becomes more apparent you are so poor you will need to feed yourself off the land. In the end, growing and trapping your own food is the most ecological way to live anyway.
Animal tracks (like the deer tracks above) will reveal the paths the animals use on a regular basis. While I don't want to eat a deer (even in a bad economy) I do love to see them doing their thing - it makes me forget about any worry I could have in life. In the picture below are some wild rose bush briers, which have a little cave type arch and shelter quality. Since I walk this path regularly, I know that this sprucing up of the bush is something that just happened. It takes a lot of patience to wait for animals to come by, but if you really want to observe them, you have to find a hiding spot close to some evidence and wait for the magic to happen.
These giant holes below are made by one of the biggest woodpeckers in existence! I have seen them only twice in my life (cause they are too crafty) , it's like spotting an eagle though cause they are so HUGE. They have a giant red head and hammer so hard on the wood it will rock your house. (I found one hammering away on my house siding once). They do this in order to find ants living inside dead trees. Pretty neat!
Where a dead tree falls down, a new path is created. This tree below created a deer super highway - when I say there were too many tracks to even decifer I don't exaggerate! It looked like NYC 5th avenue traffic...nature style.
Lastly is poop, or better known to tracking enthusiasts as "scat". Poop seems pretty easy to identify, but I am not quite sure about this one pictured below. I looked up the categories for dog, cat, deer, rabbit and rodent and it didn't quite fit in any of them. It was out in a open field near a tomato garden and apple trees, which attracts alot of critters all shapes and sizes. There were a few other scat bits near this one too, smaller in size.
Hey Tom Brown Jr., what kinda poop is this?
XoXo

PVC Free Solar Shower

I have been longing for a solar shower for quite a while now, and am so excited to tell ya'll about how the one I just got works, because I totally love it! It was purchased from REI (the camping supply store)- I ordered the biggest one which holds 5 gallons of water equaling almost 10 minutes of steamy hot shower time. For a nice warm shower anywhere you ever could go, you only have to spend about $31 which includes all the shipping & handling costs too! That's a freakin' cheap one time hot water bill! ;)The solar shower comes with only a water bag, tube, and shower head - there's no difficult assembly and the concept is so simple it's silly. The sun heats the bag for a few hours and makes hot water- which is why it was very important to me to get a PVC free plastic that would not leech into the water.
The bag can be filled anywhere there is water - a tub, sink or cold creek.
Then laid flat in the sun to heat up - on a cool day it really does take 3 hours- on a hot day this baby will scald ya' alot quicker. The directions bragged that the water could end up getting over 100 degrees and I believe it! You turn the shower nozzle to release the lovely steaming H2O and use the water pressure from hanging the bag up to let the shower begin. You can use a solar shower anywhere you hang the bag - in your bathroom, on the back porch, from a tree in the woods... through any conditions which will provide some sun for a few hours. I highly recommend it for saving money on hot water bills, making camping easier, when disasters happen or just for some summer time fun. :)XoXo

Survival Bow and Arrow (DIY Free Fun!)

I learned how to make a quick survival bow and arrow the last two days which has been way too much fun! My freshman year in catholic highschool (St. Mary's Dominican in New Orleans) we actually had archery classes and I excelled far better in that then anything else that came the rest of the four years. You only need a few supplies to make a free bow and arrow to play with, which include: string, sticks, duct tape or feathers, and a knife.

My arrow was made from an apple tree branch which is not fully dried out yet - the lighter the better when choosing a stick for your arrow cause mine is still too heavy. Carve a little point on the front on the stick with a knife, tie some feathers on the back (i used a little pine sap under the chicken feathers to help them stick better), and make a notch at the back end for leverage when you pull the arrow back on the bow string. If ya don't have feathers, try making a faux feather part out of duct tape.My bow is made of three simple sycamore branches, tied in five places evenly spaced. Then a bow string is tied at the top and bottom, very tightly, giving the bow a little bend (this makes it snap back real good for a better shoot). Your bow branches need to be able to bend some without braking - kinda like the way bridges are built to bend in the wind... so test the branches out first before tieing them all together.
My bow rocked, but my arrow needs time to dry out and get lighter - as you can see in the pic above it's weight would make it flop downward. But HELLS YEAH, I tried some other arrows (made of bamboo and strong dried weeds) on my bow and this thing was awesomely correct!

Shoot and retrieve for good free fun, until eventually you will make a DIY bullseye...which is what I want to do next! If your neighbors are close by you might need a specific target to keep from accidentally impaling people, pets, windows etc... I suppose this is my face of success above - an MTV elfish roar. Primal, dirty, and fashionable. XOXO

Eatin' Edible Wild Plants

How it ever came to be that humans started killing "weeds" with chemicals and stopped using them for food I have no idea - somehow the veggies that couldn't last in a grocery aisle were pushed aside and forgotten. Some of these edible weeds are so common you'll feel wary of actually picking them to eat because we are so accustomed to mowing, spraying, and digging them up thinking they are a nuisance. Bort (pictured above) showed me how to prepare an outside fire made of dried branches and bamboo to cook on & we combined our edible plant skills to come up with this bitter sweet dish - all for FREE (the economy special)! Really for real, you can make a yummy stir fry for free with the plants in your yard... just make sure you never eat from a lawn that has been sprayed with any chems cause you will get sick, sick, sick.

The following are the foraged ingredients to the simple free weeds stir fry

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DANDELION (leaves & young flowers) - "While dandelions are considered as weeds by many gardeners, the plant has several culinary and medicinal uses. Like a nettle, the plant can be cooked and eaten in various forms, such as soup. The young leaves are eaten raw in salads while older leaves are usually cooked. Dandelion blossoms are also used to make dandelion wine. Dandelions are high in vitamin A and also are a source of vitamin C. Ground roasted dandelion root is used as a coffee substitute. Drunk before meals this is believed to stimulate digestive function and therefore prepare the system for food; this is sold in some health food stores, often in a mixture as Dandelion and Burdock. " (See a picture of it HERE.) -wikipedia

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CHICKWEED (leaves, stems, flowers) - "Vitamin rich chickweed can be steamed or cooked as an ingredient in soups, but probably the most popular culinary use is simply as an addition to green salads. Harvest the plants when they are lush, green, and full, including the tender stems, buds, and flowers, right along with the leaves, as they’re all edible. Chickweed is reputed to have many medicinal properties and is often recommended as a weight-loss aid and for skin irritations. In addition to using the fresh leaves, it can also be dried for use in making herbal teas." (See a picture of it HERE.) -veggie gardening tips

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PLANTAIN (leaves) - "The whole plant may be used. Young leaves in salad or as pot herb, The seeds are high in fiber and can be used in breads, as a grain, etc (may be slightly laxative) and may lower cholesterol. Herb uses range from a poultice/tea wash for wounds, cuts, insect bites, burns, stings, hemorrhoids and conjunctivitis., eczema -heals wounds both internally and externally...diarrhea, kidney and bladder disorders and is said to kill worms in the stomach or bowels." (See a picture of it HERE.) -tribe

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BAMBOO SHOOTS (young small shoots fresh out the ground) - "the edible shoots (new bamboo culms that come out of the ground) of bamboo species Bambusa vulgaris and Phyllostachys edulis. They are used in numerous Asian dishes and broths." (See a picture of it HERE.) -wikipedia

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To make the stir fry cook the bamboo shoots over some medium high heat until they get softer (around 5 minutes or more) and add in your greens & flowers last. You can cook them in either a tiny amount of water or in some olive oil - adding any salt or spices you love sometime in the middle of cooking. :)

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XOXO

Bad Economy Humor

Terrible, but kinda realistic (click on the pic above to read a larger version)... xoxo

Article by the Asheville Disclaimer.

Humor: Bad Economy = Stealing

Another giggle from the locally written Asheville Disclaimer, the humor section of the Mountain XPress...

Economy Collapse: How To Have Fun For Free

If you haven't noticed yet that the US economy has completely fallen in on itself then possibly you have been lucky enough to be existing in a cave free of rent payments & living off the land. Or you may be filthy rich and unaffected. Either way we all love to get our fun on for free and save money for important things like keeping the electricity turned on and feeding ourselves. Here's some simple ideas that don't cost you a dime...

1. Lay in the grass. This is something that not only is relaxing, can lead to giggles and a good face tan, but there's always a patch of grass somewhere to enjoy and can be a time to really bond with someone you love.

2. Upcycle craft projects. Most people have a good amount of stuff in their house they no longer like or use (from back when the economy was stabilized) - whether it be some stretched out sweater, knick knacks, or empty bottles... there is something brilliant you can transform these things into. Check out Crafting A Green World's plethora of upcycle craft projects you can do at home. Not only will it be free, but also creativity is good for the soul.

3. Plan an 'Economy Sucks' party. This is not going to be planned by the normal standards of hosting a party, with this type of party it will be known from the start that you won't be putting out a dollar to have it at your abode. The focus is to get together with friends, and not to put on a show. Simply use non disposable plates or glasses you have and ask for guests to only bring something to drink or eat they already have on hand, no one is allowed to spend money for it. The theme is about having fun with friends and not about eating finger sandwiches- so let go of the party rules you've had before.

4. Walk or ride a bike. Exercise is good, but people watching is better. There are things in your neighborhood, town or park you just can't see when wizzing by in a car- but when taking a nice stroll you will find nuances of creativity that didn't exist for you before.

5. Trade used books for more used books. FREE books are awesome, and most used book stores will give you a good credit for some of your used books, so you can go pick yourself up something else to read! Other free reading includes going to your local library (on foot or bike) to check out books or reading an e-book online.

6. Free Local Music. Somewhere in your town someone would like to entertain you for free. Check your local paper for listings of free music, performances, festivals, workshops and events like Green Drinks. If you walk or ride your bike and bring your own snack from home you don't need to spend money in order to have a good time and socialize.

7. Support groups. If the whole collapsed economy thing has got you down beyond being capable of having fun, you can do like the dude in Fight Club and join some free local support groups -from AA to sexaholics anonymous, there is probably something that can help you feel like you are not alone.

Have any FREE ideas of your own?