Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

After freezing yesterday, the sun came out and it was a lovely day - the washing dried on the line and N worked in the shed with the door open.  Lots more bulbs coming through - so looking forward to seeing them bloom.

Having felt a bit down yesterday, I decided today to take some time to write down all the small steps we're taking.  Here's the list, or at least what I came up with:

• we don't accept any more plastic bags, and we re-use the ones we have, always making sure we have a spare one in our pocket when we leave for town
• we recycle, and always have done.  Now it's been made even easier (and there really is no excuse for anyone not to do so) because the local county council provide recycling bags clearly labelled with everything that can be accepted.  All items not on the recycling list are collected alternate weeks, and food scraps are collected weekly.  Every household is provided with three  different storage bins; one small bin for kitchen food scraps, a larger version for outside use, and a much larger wheelie-type bin to store full rubbish bags in.  We also use our local civic amenity tip for garden waste, rubble, metal, wood etc.  We donate to local charity shops (and have picked up several bits and pieces from them, too).
• I mend and alter clothes rather than getting rid of them.
• as the main cook, N makes all our meals from scratch, and the savings have been amazing.  Also we now eat so well at home that we very rarely go out.
• I bake bread, biscuits and cakes rather than buy ready-made.  We have noticed that we don't eat as much bread now (we no longer have the convenience and temptation of a sliced loaf, and therefore a ready sandwich) and we have both lost weight, without even trying:)
• I am using up the cleaning products and cloths I already have.  I want to knit some dishcloths, and recycle some old towels for cleaning cloths.  I also want to look into replacing chemical cleaners with homemade ones.
• I am also slowly working my way through all the body-lotions and creams I have acquired, and again will not buy any more for the present.
• We have had several major de-cluttering sessions over the years (moving house 2 or 3 times has certainly helped).  Neither of us likes a lot of 'stuff' around and we are mindful how easy it is for possessions to take over.  We had a clear-out in the kitchen recently, and the bedroom (especially clothes etc) will be next in line.  I'm trying not to think about the loft!!
• We have grown our own vegetables in the past, although we're not sure how this year will pan our if we are moving.  N became very interested and keen on the veggie garden, and his hard work paid off in dividends; we were able to eat fresh home-grown produce all through the summer and autumn, and froze surplus for use through the winter.  This is something we definitely want to do again.
• We don't have a tumble drier so whenever possible the clothes are line-dried.
• We are trying to be mindful of the amount of water, gas and electricity we use.  The thermostat is kept low.  We shower alternate days and I always ensure the washing machine has a full load.
• We don't go out anywhere near as much as we used to.  It's not really been a conscious decision, it just seems to have happened.  We do still have a drink out once in a while, but certainly not the 3 or 4 times a week that it used to be.
• We are both taking huge pleasure from crafts; N with his woodwork and me from sewing and knitting.  We now have the time, and the inclination to really enjoy making things, both for ourselves and for others.

Just jotting down these few things makes me realise that we have already taken many 'small steps'.  We still spend money (but nothing like we used to), but we do not allow ourselves to be conned into a consumerist spending frenzy, being told that we must 'have it all' in order to be happy.  We do not 'have it all', nor do we want it all, and we are more content now than we have been for a long time.  An accumulation of stuff does not bring happiness.

I persevered with the machine quilting this morning, and rechecked the tension by doing a few practice pieces.  By varying the top and bottom tensions gradually, one at a time, I finally produced stitches that were just about OK.  As N said to me, we might call ourselves perfectionists, but not many people actually achieve perfection.  Sometimes we need to accept 'as good as I can make it', and not beat ourselves up over small imperfections.  This quilt is not for a judged competition, it is for snuggling up in at home, and when it is being used, I shall remember my son stitching it many years ago.  It is enough to work on it with love, enjoying the process, and doing the best I am able to.