*Life Goes On

It’s been a while, I know. I do apologize, I was so hoping to start my new installment with “The house is officially sold and we’re on our way!” But this is not to be the case, as it turns out having a willing buyer is only a small step in the sale process. The bank has all the say and our buyers’ bond wasn’t approved. So we start all over again. House selling is not for sissies. 

But life goes on. As Christmas creeps nearer I am drowning in orders, mostly wholesale at the moment so each order is large. Which is good. Every hour of every day is full up with cutting and stitching and communicating with clients, while keeping the shop going at the same time. If I was ever unsure if closing the shop was the right thing to do, I am now convinced I can’t do it all. It doesn’t leave much time for living at all let alone living lightly. And really, what is the point then?I have got a little bartering done since last we chatted. It is a hard thing to get one’s head around, especially trying to make sure the trades are fair. The way I see it, as long as both parties are happy your trade is a success. First I traded a bunch of fresh beetroot from one of my fellow Nitarah veg box customers for a bottle of pickled beetroot. Then I traded with Siobhan at Wimze - two old printer’s trays and a couple of craft mags for chain and charms for a new project I have planned for next year. I also traded a bespoke Kisma Kreative handmade folder for a stash of bits and pieces of jewellery from Sarah at      G-Town Gems. These will be used for the same project. Intrigued? Good. You should be. Watch this space!

I’m getting the hang of it but it is sometimes awkward to suggest trading to people. Not everyone gets it and would prefer the black and white simplicity of cold hard cash. If anyone in Grahamstown has green thumbs 

and you have too many potatoes, tomatoes or onions I’d gladly discuss trading for preserves, pickles, or maybe a trade from my veg box? Beetroot for onions, etc? Or maybe there’s a Kisma Kreative design you have your eye on? Let’s chat. 

I’d best get back to it. So many orders, so little time. Have a beautiful day and remember to smile - it’s contagious!

*PS - I’m Just Like You

I feel the need to tell you a little bit more about myself. I need you to understand that I am by no means the most perfect greenie or eco-friendly person out there.

I want to be. I think about it a lot. I mean to be. But I still buy chips in plastic foil bags made with Amazon-destroying Palm oil when I can’t fight the urge. I might buy veggies in sea-creature-strangling plastic when I’m in a hurry. I will buy loose potatoes and then pop them in a million-year-to-biodegrade plastic bag because I still haven’t made the reusable net ones I have in my mind. I mean to eat beans and tofu instead of chops and chicken legs. But I don’t. I want to recycle but sho - it’s so difficult to get to the recycling drop offs on time - maybe next week. We did start a compost heap - but that’s just what it is, a heap at the top of the garden. It’s very natural. Just doesn’t have fancy worms or a tap were you can run off … whatever it is you run off of a proper compost system. I know solar is good, and expensive, but I’ll read up on it when I have time. I try to remember to turn the geyser off – but I always forget to turn it back on.

I don’t plan on giving up TV, Wi-Fi or good food. But I am hoping to find a practical way to live better, more consciously and with less stress within this mad, mad world we call home. I’m going with a ‘less is more’ philosophy. The less you have, the less you have to be worried about - right? Home-grown, home-made, less preservatives, fewer ingredients I don’t understand, less stuff from far, far away and origins unknown, back to basics, within reason. Does that make any sense? I’m like you, I want to be less selfish and demanding of the planet but I don’t want to live in the dark ages either. Surely we can find a practical, happy medium? That’s my goal right there I think. A practical and happy medium to Living Lightly in the real world.

As I am moving my studio back home and my work hours become more flexitime I will be able to test out all the recipes, building plans, suggested alternatives and green options out there. I hope to figure out what is practical, affordable and what will make an actual difference, no matter how small, as opposed to the crackpot plans that are out there on the net. Electricity from a coke can or Internet out of old CDs? I dunno, maybe we’ll be pleasantly surprised.

I have come to the conclusion that I am limited in the amount of income I can bring in doing what I do so another part of the experiment is to discover how much I can save by living lightly - and in this way contribute to the household income. We all know the economy is wobbly in the world and especially in South Africa just now. Nothing is for sure at the moment. This is my backup plan. A lifestyle that is efficient, less stressful, more healthy, economical, and planet friendly. I mean, isn’t that what we all want?

I hope you’ll follow my journey and help out where you can. I’m sure there is a wealth of knowledge between us - things you didn’t even know you knew, things you didn’t think had any value. Things you forgot you knew. I’ll be needing your advice and help along the way - it’s going to be easy to get lost in this story.