My Sustainable Life

There is so much to be done to achieve a sustainable life. It certainly isn't cheap in effort or initial monetary investment. Someone once wrote, "It sure is complicated living this simple life." Many eco-morally (maybe that's not a word, but it's the best way I can describe it :) )challenging decisions have to made daily. For instance, It would have been simple to "round up" the grass in my future garden with chemicals. With a leftover fourth of a container of industrial grade weed killer from my father in law wasting away on the top shelf of my tool shed, it was an act of dedication to proceed with my convictions. Oh the temptations of the easy way. Collecting the newspapers and cardboard, storing them in a corner of my living room wasn't exactly the easiest or fastest way. The temptation to throw out everything and have a neat living room again was at times all but overwhelming. Putting the newspaper and cardboard down then the pine straw mulch was the best for our environment and my soil. It will kill the grass and suppress any future weeds from growing. The earthworms will eventually eat through the paper and return it to the soil in the form of rich earthworm castings. My garden will be richer for it, and I have saved money by recycling, kept the trash from the landfill, and removed the chemical element from the process.

At church someone asked my husband if we were preparing for the endtimes. He was implying this because of the changes we have made. My husband replied "Yes we are preparing for the endtimes." Then he held up his Bible and said, "and it has nothing to do with chickens." We are not doing this to avoid anything apocalyptic. If anything, after Katrina we understand that the best laid plans of mice and men truly go awry. We are doing this because it is full filling and satisfying. Placing still warm jars of home picked and canned blackberry jam in the cabinet gives a sense of contentment that no all day bout of shopping could ever compare with. Just knowing we could survive on our little plot of land brings a smile to my lips and a light to my eyes. Maybe its in my genes? There are too many other people who find delight in this as well for me to think I'm strange. Even so, I've never been afraid of strange.

Truly there is still much to learn, and I am daily. Progression is being made slowly yet steadily. Here are the steps we have currently achieved:

Solar oven

Vegetable Garden

Composting

Line clothes dryer

Mini Orchard

Chickens

Future plans:

Dairy cow

Pig

More Permaculture

There are some interesting videos on you tube from peak moment on sustainable living if you are interested. Later I will post the best steps in my opinion to take if you want to endeavor to live a more sustainable life.