Hello friendly neighbourhood readers!
It's been a busy few days. We had a successful move, with no tears shed. It's great to be back home, living life at a slower pace. It's the closest thing to paradise I've felt in a while.
Today marked my first day at work at the greenhouse! I already know that I'm going to love it. It's can be hard work but it's really rewarding. The first thing we did when we got there was unload a full length semi trailer packed floor to ceiling with trees! It was difficult to believe that many trees could fit in such a (relatively) small space. I am on tree duty for the rest of the month! WaHOOOO! So excite.
Evan and I are also biking to work. I'll admit this is a bit of a challenge for me right now. 10 km of highway can be a bit nerve wracking, and today the wind was definitely not in our favour. I am exhausted. It feels amazing. I need a new bike. One that fits my abnormally long body would be nice.
Yesterday we visited our friends and helped with some herb planting and met their worm pals. Fun!
If I can give you one piece of advice, it would be to get rid of as much stuff as possible. Foreal. Stuff sucks. I can tell you that the first thing to cross off my list right now is to have about a jillion garage sales. STAT. Simplify your life!
Thanks for reading my blog. And stuff.
-Brett
Monday, 30 April 2012
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Permaculture
Moving day is getting closer and closer, and all I can think about is how much I want it to be here now. It sucks sitting in an empty apartment full of boxes, just waiting for the day to come. If Calgary taught us one thing, it's that the city is just not for us. Don't get me wrong, I like having access to pretty much anything I can think of, but it really feels like it's sucking the soul out of both Evan and myself.
Now I'm going to share my ultimate dream-life-goal with you. One day, I want to live completely independently of any outside resources, on a piece of land where everything is hand built by me. I want to learn how to make everything I use, and never buy anything. I don't want to have a career, because I don't believe in only doing one thing for a whole lifetime. Who thought of that?!!! Ideally, we'll be able to produce enough to sell and pay our taxes, and won't need anything else. One of my fellow hippy friends shared the idea of a gift economy with me - one where nobody holds on to more than they need. When you have an excess, you give it away, and when you are in need, it will be given to you. Why doesn't this exist?!
Hippy communes aside, permaculture is a seriously awesome and simple idea that doesn't require you to go completely off the grid to utilize the benefits. It's a method of design whereby sustainable practises are used, and modelled after natural ecosystems. Nothing is just plunked down somewhere without having a reason for being there. The goal within a permaculture system is not only to have a net zero energy cycle, but to actually come out with a net positive. Think about how many modern inventions are more than 100% efficient... Still thinking? Every time the human race comes up with a new piece of technology, a new set of problems comes along with it. We're so busy thinking about how we can create new gadgets to solve the problem, that we don't realize that the original change was the problem. We keep telling ourselves we need things. That is the problem.
One important (and really cool) element of permaculture is the swale. A swale is like a ditch, except instead of existing to drain water, swales are dug level to capture and harness water. Swales allow you to grow plants needing little to no irrigation, using water that would normally be lost to the ground. In Jordan, one of the most inhospitable places in the world for agriculture, where nearly everything is grown in a greenhouse, swales were used to effectively revegetate the desert. Amazing!
Now I'm going to share my ultimate dream-life-goal with you. One day, I want to live completely independently of any outside resources, on a piece of land where everything is hand built by me. I want to learn how to make everything I use, and never buy anything. I don't want to have a career, because I don't believe in only doing one thing for a whole lifetime. Who thought of that?!!! Ideally, we'll be able to produce enough to sell and pay our taxes, and won't need anything else. One of my fellow hippy friends shared the idea of a gift economy with me - one where nobody holds on to more than they need. When you have an excess, you give it away, and when you are in need, it will be given to you. Why doesn't this exist?!
Hippy communes aside, permaculture is a seriously awesome and simple idea that doesn't require you to go completely off the grid to utilize the benefits. It's a method of design whereby sustainable practises are used, and modelled after natural ecosystems. Nothing is just plunked down somewhere without having a reason for being there. The goal within a permaculture system is not only to have a net zero energy cycle, but to actually come out with a net positive. Think about how many modern inventions are more than 100% efficient... Still thinking? Every time the human race comes up with a new piece of technology, a new set of problems comes along with it. We're so busy thinking about how we can create new gadgets to solve the problem, that we don't realize that the original change was the problem. We keep telling ourselves we need things. That is the problem.
One important (and really cool) element of permaculture is the swale. A swale is like a ditch, except instead of existing to drain water, swales are dug level to capture and harness water. Swales allow you to grow plants needing little to no irrigation, using water that would normally be lost to the ground. In Jordan, one of the most inhospitable places in the world for agriculture, where nearly everything is grown in a greenhouse, swales were used to effectively revegetate the desert. Amazing!
Check out the video!
If we only put some thought into our actions as a species and took action on those thoughts, we could really make a huge difference.
Thanks for reading!
-Brett
Sunday, 22 April 2012
Earth Day vol. 2
We bought the worm composter! But unfortunately, we won't be able to use it for about 2 weeks, since worms didn't come with.
If you get the chance, check out this blog, it's an up-and-coming permaculture group sprouted from Calgary artist collective Light and Soul. We got our composter from them at Market Collective today!
Also, today Evan and I invested in some super cool shoes.
If you get the chance, check out this blog, it's an up-and-coming permaculture group sprouted from Calgary artist collective Light and Soul. We got our composter from them at Market Collective today!
Also, today Evan and I invested in some super cool shoes.
I've been seeing these around for a pretty long time now and always thought they were pretty neat. Today I tried them on, and it was love. They feel amazing. I wouldn't say they feel like barefoot, but they are definitely the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned. In fact, I am wearing them right now. Inside. I like that they allow you to interact with your surroundings in a way we're not used to (here, anyway). The Vibram company is a part of the barefoot movement, which I think is really cool. Only 20% of the world's population wears shoes! Weird to think about, but shoes actually damage your feet! It makes sense, once you realize that, similar to shampoo, the human body did not evolve to need them. However, living in an urbanized locale can definitely present hazards to the barefooted. That's why these shoes are so cool! Going barefoot or wearing these shoes actually strengthens the muscles in your feet and ankles, and toughens the soles of your feet, restoring their original purpose.
For more information regarding Vibrams and the barefoot movement, visit the Vibram website.
Earth Day
Hey y'all,
So today is Earth Day. What exactly does that mean? Does everybody carry around a reusable shopping bag today? Personally, I believe Earth Day is a total gimmick. Every day has to be "Earth Day" or there won't be an Earth guys! So go plant a tree! But don't just do it because it's Earth Day, do it because it's necessary.
When I'm finished this post, my boyfriend and I are going to market collective to buy some worm composters! I'm pretty sure Evan is in love with worms. Super excited to move back home so we can put the little guys to work!
On a side note, I went and saw two of my favourite bands last night, Boreal Sons and Andy Shauf. Both of them just put out new EP's, so if you have a chance, check them out!
Andy Shauf - Bandcamp
There's a drummer too, but unfortunately he was hidden away in a little nook and I couldn't get a good photo.
Boreal Sons - Bandcamp
How glad are you that this post is shorter than the last one? Thanks for reading!
-Brett
So today is Earth Day. What exactly does that mean? Does everybody carry around a reusable shopping bag today? Personally, I believe Earth Day is a total gimmick. Every day has to be "Earth Day" or there won't be an Earth guys! So go plant a tree! But don't just do it because it's Earth Day, do it because it's necessary.
When I'm finished this post, my boyfriend and I are going to market collective to buy some worm composters! I'm pretty sure Evan is in love with worms. Super excited to move back home so we can put the little guys to work!
On a side note, I went and saw two of my favourite bands last night, Boreal Sons and Andy Shauf. Both of them just put out new EP's, so if you have a chance, check them out!
Andy Shauf - Bandcamp
There's a drummer too, but unfortunately he was hidden away in a little nook and I couldn't get a good photo.
Boreal Sons - Bandcamp
How glad are you that this post is shorter than the last one? Thanks for reading!
-Brett
Saturday, 21 April 2012
SHAM-POO :(
Hey there,
This is my first ever blog! Please don't yell at me, I don't know any better. Anyway, the majority of my time and thought-space for a good while now has been taken up trying to think up ways to become completely independent from an ignorant, disconnected way of life. I don't want to be a part of a society that doesn't put any sort of thought into daily life. Lately, I've been putting a lot of effort (Okay maybe not an earth-shattering amount but still enough to occupy my thoughts pretty regularly) into eliminating unnecessary "things" that most people don't think twice about, and to start making as many of the items/products that I consume myself.
For my first post, I will share my thoughts about shampoo with you. This is a subject that I could talk for days about, so I apologize for the impending length of this post. Let me first give you some background information: I was born with very curly hair. At three years old, I essentially had a little ginger afro. After discovering the straightener, curl gel/mousse/spray/whatever, and repeating for several years, I was left with hair that was little more than wavy, very thin and fine, and which would never grow longer than a little past my shoulders. I washed my hair every day because I didn't want it to get greasy. After itching to for months, I finally gave in and got dreadlocks after graduating in May of last year. Now, contrary to what a lot of non-dreadheads think, most dreadlock owners do wash their hair, but you really shouldn't wash them more than once a week, because it leads to all sorts of nasty problems like mould :( Also, you use a special shampoo that has no additives, because regular shampoos will fill your dreads with nasty greasy crap that you will never be able to wash out. The great thing about this was that it got my hair used to this washing cycle, and I didn't have to worry about it getting greasy in the meantime because that was pretty much impossible with dreads. So, fast-forward about 6 months, and I decide to ditch the dreads. The first thing I experience is that my hair is completely wonderfully curly after the much deserved break. So I start washing with regular shampoo again. And immediately, I start to have problems. After washing, my hair is so frizzy and dry that it takes about 4 days to calm down to a manageable state, and in the meantime, I have to pour on the gel to keep it from turning into a giant fuzzball. This means I have to wash it more, and so the cycle goes... I started to do some research into shampoo and I found a lot of unbelievable information on the subject. It turns out that not only is shampoo completely unnecessary, but it actually damages your hair. What it does is strips all the oils clean off, which includes the natural oils your hair needs to keep from breaking off. To remedy this problem, companies give you conditioners to "repair damaged hair". Newsflash: All conditioner does is make the scales on each strand of hair lay down, and coat your hair with silicone. Which means you have to wash your hair again right away. Brilliant. Now if I went around trying to tell women that they didn't need to wash their hair, they'd probably back away slowly and make sure they didn't catch any germs on the way out the door. Think about it: How long have commercial shampoos been around? Obviously the human body didn't evolve to require shampoo, because it didn't exist more than 100 years ago. If you're really hardcore, you can try quitting shampoo cold-turkey, but I wouldn't recommend this method, because in the few weeks it will take your hair to adjust you may look like you went swimming in a deep fryer (okay, exaggeration). However, there is a very simple way to wash your hair without killing it in the meantime.
You're going to need (are you ready for this?) baking soda, apple cider vinegar and water. Add two tablespoons of each one into separate 1 cup portions of water. Put the soda solution in a spray bottle, and spray your hair until it's really coated, then scrub your head until your hair feels clean. Rinse, and pour the vinegar solution over your hair, making sure you get all of it. You're going to want to rinse your hair really well, or you might smell vinegary for a little bit. That's it. The baking soda will clean your hair without stripping the oils and leaving your hair frizzy, and the acidity of the vinegar smooths the scales down without leaving residue. My hair felt SO GOOD after the first time. I now wash my hair once every 7-10 days, and scrub with plain old water every day in between. It's great. My hair is shiny, healthy, and I'm pretty sure it's growing faster than it ever has before. And it keeps getting curlier. I've heard from some people that even if your hair has been straight for most of your life, discontinuing shampoo use can bring back natural curl that you didn't even know you had. I also recommend brushing your hair, and especially your scalp, to help blood flow, increase hair growth rate, and prevent dandruff, itch and other scalp conditions. Seriously, it's so important to stimulate your scalp.
If you reeeeeeeally want to pay for shampoo, make sure you buy those without sodium laurel/laureth sulphate. This little chemical potion is responsible for making shampoo all bubbly, and it's also responsible for skin irritation, acne, and all sorts of other health problems. If you have dandruff and nothing else is working for you, before you go to the doctor and try a fancy dandruff shampoo (which likely contains SLS) try an SLS-free shampoo. It could be the source of your problems.
If you want to know more about the subject, check out The Great Shampoo Scandal, it explains the problem really well.
Weeeeeell, that's my first post. If you're still here, thanks for sticking it out. It's been real. Y'all come back now, y'hear?
-Brett
This is my first ever blog! Please don't yell at me, I don't know any better. Anyway, the majority of my time and thought-space for a good while now has been taken up trying to think up ways to become completely independent from an ignorant, disconnected way of life. I don't want to be a part of a society that doesn't put any sort of thought into daily life. Lately, I've been putting a lot of effort (Okay maybe not an earth-shattering amount but still enough to occupy my thoughts pretty regularly) into eliminating unnecessary "things" that most people don't think twice about, and to start making as many of the items/products that I consume myself.
For my first post, I will share my thoughts about shampoo with you. This is a subject that I could talk for days about, so I apologize for the impending length of this post. Let me first give you some background information: I was born with very curly hair. At three years old, I essentially had a little ginger afro. After discovering the straightener, curl gel/mousse/spray/whatever, and repeating for several years, I was left with hair that was little more than wavy, very thin and fine, and which would never grow longer than a little past my shoulders. I washed my hair every day because I didn't want it to get greasy. After itching to for months, I finally gave in and got dreadlocks after graduating in May of last year. Now, contrary to what a lot of non-dreadheads think, most dreadlock owners do wash their hair, but you really shouldn't wash them more than once a week, because it leads to all sorts of nasty problems like mould :( Also, you use a special shampoo that has no additives, because regular shampoos will fill your dreads with nasty greasy crap that you will never be able to wash out. The great thing about this was that it got my hair used to this washing cycle, and I didn't have to worry about it getting greasy in the meantime because that was pretty much impossible with dreads. So, fast-forward about 6 months, and I decide to ditch the dreads. The first thing I experience is that my hair is completely wonderfully curly after the much deserved break. So I start washing with regular shampoo again. And immediately, I start to have problems. After washing, my hair is so frizzy and dry that it takes about 4 days to calm down to a manageable state, and in the meantime, I have to pour on the gel to keep it from turning into a giant fuzzball. This means I have to wash it more, and so the cycle goes... I started to do some research into shampoo and I found a lot of unbelievable information on the subject. It turns out that not only is shampoo completely unnecessary, but it actually damages your hair. What it does is strips all the oils clean off, which includes the natural oils your hair needs to keep from breaking off. To remedy this problem, companies give you conditioners to "repair damaged hair". Newsflash: All conditioner does is make the scales on each strand of hair lay down, and coat your hair with silicone. Which means you have to wash your hair again right away. Brilliant. Now if I went around trying to tell women that they didn't need to wash their hair, they'd probably back away slowly and make sure they didn't catch any germs on the way out the door. Think about it: How long have commercial shampoos been around? Obviously the human body didn't evolve to require shampoo, because it didn't exist more than 100 years ago. If you're really hardcore, you can try quitting shampoo cold-turkey, but I wouldn't recommend this method, because in the few weeks it will take your hair to adjust you may look like you went swimming in a deep fryer (okay, exaggeration). However, there is a very simple way to wash your hair without killing it in the meantime.
You're going to need (are you ready for this?) baking soda, apple cider vinegar and water. Add two tablespoons of each one into separate 1 cup portions of water. Put the soda solution in a spray bottle, and spray your hair until it's really coated, then scrub your head until your hair feels clean. Rinse, and pour the vinegar solution over your hair, making sure you get all of it. You're going to want to rinse your hair really well, or you might smell vinegary for a little bit. That's it. The baking soda will clean your hair without stripping the oils and leaving your hair frizzy, and the acidity of the vinegar smooths the scales down without leaving residue. My hair felt SO GOOD after the first time. I now wash my hair once every 7-10 days, and scrub with plain old water every day in between. It's great. My hair is shiny, healthy, and I'm pretty sure it's growing faster than it ever has before. And it keeps getting curlier. I've heard from some people that even if your hair has been straight for most of your life, discontinuing shampoo use can bring back natural curl that you didn't even know you had. I also recommend brushing your hair, and especially your scalp, to help blood flow, increase hair growth rate, and prevent dandruff, itch and other scalp conditions. Seriously, it's so important to stimulate your scalp.
If you reeeeeeeally want to pay for shampoo, make sure you buy those without sodium laurel/laureth sulphate. This little chemical potion is responsible for making shampoo all bubbly, and it's also responsible for skin irritation, acne, and all sorts of other health problems. If you have dandruff and nothing else is working for you, before you go to the doctor and try a fancy dandruff shampoo (which likely contains SLS) try an SLS-free shampoo. It could be the source of your problems.
If you want to know more about the subject, check out The Great Shampoo Scandal, it explains the problem really well.
Weeeeeell, that's my first post. If you're still here, thanks for sticking it out. It's been real. Y'all come back now, y'hear?
-Brett
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