The Story of Stuff

For those of you who have been around a little longer than others, your first thought when you hear the word 'stuff' is George Carlin. And truth be told, you are not too far off base. I got to see George Carlin in concert over 20 years ago when he had cleaned up his act. And I was glad we saw him then. Yes there was swearing, but it was kept to a minimum. And guess what, his 'stuff' was still funny.

Take a look at George Carlin's take on Stuff. There is some mild profanity. So if you still want to take a gander, tell the kiddies to go elsewhere.

Carlin's Stuff

Yes, he makes it seem oh so funny. But there is a down side to stuff. And I for one am ready to rid my life of my 'stuff' that I am not using. I have blogged about Free Cycle before and love it. Do I use it all the time? No. But it is there for me to use if necessary. One of the main objectives to Free cycle is to keep things out of our landfills. And I for one on that bandwagon. I love this new word I am discovering and how it can apply to my life. When I am dead and gone, what will people say about me? To me, at least, it is very important. I want people to say, even if they think I am whack about it, that I did everything I could to help Mother Earth be a bit healthier. Even though those greedy capitalists think I should have a new computer every six months.

I want to make life simpler, not have to sit and look at 'stuff' I have and that doesn't get used. Save for seasonal holiday 'stuff' I want to rid my life of 'stuff' that is sitting here, in my home taking up space. And it's not that I want to get rid of it to bring in new 'stuff', it's just that I don't want it around any longer.

I look at my parent's for example and their 'stuff' has 'stuff'. That can't be good. And I remember a long time ago that someone once told me that if you have not used something in a years time, then you obviously don't need it. And I will give that person that, but there are some exceptions to that rule. Emergency items, like a generator, especially if you live in Hurricane Central, and items that would lend assistance in an emergency. For each region of our country it would be something different. But we all know what our emergency necessities are and I will leave it at that.

The kind of stuff I am referring to is the stuff (and I sat in my TV room as I bring up this point) is the stuff me purchase and then let fall by the wayside, in a manner of speaking. I have a pretty set number of CD's I listen to. Let's use the number 25 as an example. I have a CD carrying case in my vehicle and I rotate those same tried and true CD's. I cannot remember the last time I purchased a new CD and I am all right with that. For why should I by more stuff, just to say I have more stuff? Do you think the person I am conversing with is really, truly impressed that I got the latest CD. DVD , computer, kitchen gadget...? No, they are not. They are most more than likely annoyed at the fact that I feel thee undesirable need to shove it in their face every chance I get, so why bother.

So, in looking at my entertainment set (And reading my borrowed Ishmael book) I knew right then, that I wanted to make it a top priority to rid my home, and moreso, my life of 'stuff', also known as clutter.

To see the dynamics of what stuff is doing to us and our planet, please take a look at this short video. It is about 20 minutes or so, but well worth the watch. I've only had in my bookmarks for about a year. And whilst deleting websites I knew I did not or would not visit, I thought it appropriate to finally take a see what this woman, Annie Leonard had to say about stuff. She makes the viewing worth your while. It is semi-animated, but she does not talk to you like you are a child. And for the most part, these were things I knew about but needed a gentle reminder and a less gentle nudging to get off my backside and make a difference.

I am not looking to change, the world. All right, yes I am, but I can only do so much and I am fine with that. But there is a saying that keeps coming back in many references I speak about lately and it goes like this, "How does and ant eat an elephant?...One bite at a time."

The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

By Merriam-Webster's Definition

Reduce: to diminish in size, amount, extent, or number

Reuse: to use again especially in a different way or after reclaiming or repossessing

Recycle: to pass again through a series of changes or treatments

Sounds simple enough, right? Well not so fast. In the big scope of things, we go in a certain order and there is a reason...there is always a reason. But hear me out. Reuse comes before recycle, and here is the reasoning. When you reuse something you will save some, if not all of the energy that went into it's making. For instance. You have a wagon that is on its way out or the children no longer use. Why not turn it into a planter. The wire hangers (I will refrain from my Mommy Dearest moment) can be returned back to the dry cleaners. Empty food cans can become pots for plants. How retro is that?

Some simple stupid ways to reduce. How about checking out a book from the library. Some libraries even have a table with withdrawn books at a fraction of the cost. Flea Markets, Garage Sales are great ways to get books on to your shelf with no extra energy wasted.

How about renting movies from the video store instead of purchasing them. Same goes for music. Buy them used or download.

Old clothes can go to consignment shops or donated to charities. Let someone else enjoy the fabrics you once did.

Plastic bags. Do you really need all those bags? I highly doubt it. I have been bringing my reusable canvas bags with me for a while now. I used them mostly at the grocery store, but I have taken to bringing them to every store I visit. The produce stand, the mall, or better yet, I just tell them I do not need a bag. Do you really need a bag for your CD/DVD? When you are going right to your car? Yeah, I thought so. You will get funny looks, so either you ignore them and keep going or you tell them the truth and by explaining yourself, you may get someone else to have their light bulb go on.

You have a treasure trove of items for crafts siting around your home. How about empty bottles, boxes being used in an art project? Old T-shirts can go for the cleaning box, or a dogs pull toy. Finished up plastic containers can be used to house small items, such as rubber bands, paper clips, buttons, nut and bolts, the list goes on.

And the ever useful Internet. Ever heard of Free Cycle? Then you need to get out more. It is there goal to reduce, reuse and recycle. And it's all for free. Give them a check out. they stared out in 2003 and have now grown to over 3,700 communities.

I hope I have given you some food for thought. I say this always, will you do every single thing I post about? I doubt it, but if you walk away with one piece of inspiration, then I have done my job. So go and do the three R's, and I ain't talking about Reading, Riting and Rethmatic.

Drip...Drip...Drip

It recently dawned on me how much water we waste. And trust me, if you looked hard enough or just paid attention to what you do with your water, you would easily see how much we waste. It hit me just recently that I let the water run when I was washing my hands. And what was that water doing while I was washing my hands? Absolutely nothing. That's my point. It was running down the drain, yeah, being what? Wasted.

That is when I did some minor research into how I could conserve water. And I now do things differently. Do I implement every single suggestion on the water conservation site? I think not. But every little bit helps. Small moves people. If everyone did one implementation think how much water we would save. And we all know we cannot live without water. Dying of thirst does not sound fun in my book.

I will give you some easy things you can do and it won't take any effort. The biggest one we are doing is saving our grey water. Mostly from the water the is running when you are heating up your shower water. We take that water and use it to flush our toilets, water the plants around the house and plants outside. I no longer let the water run when I do the dishes that cannot go into the dishwasher. I make sure that the dishwasher and washing machine are fully loaded before running them. Again, you would be surprised where you can make a difference. Ooo Ooo, My husband now washes the car on the lawn, that way we do not have to water the grass that day. See, who would have guessed.

Water Conservation Tips

And, if you scroll down to the bottom of this page, you will see a link that shows you how much water we do use. It is sinful. Take a gander, and see what small little bit you can contribute to helping our planet and keep as much water on her as possible.

Soft Alternative

No...I am not talking about Skin So Soft. But for those who have been followers a decent amount of time, you know my commitment to doing what I can to help out Mother Earth. Most folks do give a rats hiney what they do with their recyclables, or left over food, or food that could be used to make soups, my list goes on. But suffice it to say, I am wee but greener around the gills. And so much so that I have been Hanging Clothes for quite some time. About a month or so before my surgery(July 15, 2008).

And I gave up fabric softener sheets(they have animal products in them, long story) and we now make our own Clothes Detergent but even thought I LOVE clothes hung on the line, they lacked that dryer softness, especially our towels. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled I have the advantage of having a dryer. Women years ago were stranded. It rained for days, you were fresh out of luck. But today I discovered something. I had been putting white vinegar in where you usually put our liquid fabric softener. So everything is copasetic, and then I bring in the towels that are dry and man oh man, they are soft. Don't get me wrong, they are nowhere near the softness of a dryer, but they are darned tootin' close. So Viola, another break through in the Green world. Hah!

Renewable Energy

For those of you who have been following my blog, you know I an into anything that will help out dear old Mother Earth. I want to leave this planet to my children and grandchildren, and be happy that I did my own little bit. Do I need to have a March on D.C.? Some may feel the need, but I like the little voice I have and what I am doing in my own little corner of the planet.

Financially, I can only do so much. We are a single income family that sits barely above the poverty line. That is not a true complaint, just a statement of fact. So for me to got out and do a lot of whoopin' and hollerin' is just not going to happen. So I hang my clothes, recycle, turn off the lights, and such forth. But there is a man who has the power, the knowledge, and the financial resources to make a huge difference, if only people would listen.

Please take a moment of your time and see what he has to say. I think he is definitely on the right track, but his methodology will fly in the face of the big oil tycoons. If they can't make kazillions on it, then why bother. It doesn't matter if their grandchildren will be choking on the air they breathe. All that matteers for many is the here and now. But if we as a collective nation do not get our stuff together, there will not be a planet to live on. We won't see it, generations to come will and curse us for not doing more.

T. Boone Pickens Plan

Ropa Solar

Yep, that is about the extent of my Spanish. the translation is solar clothes. Yep, my father-in-law was wonderful enough to but us a clothesline. And the first thing out of my mother-in-laws mouth was, "Where are you putting it?" She asked my husband. He knows her, so his snappy answer was, "We put it in our living room, you want to come and see it?"

She was worries if the neighbors would see it! Helloooooo, are those neighbors going to pay my electric bill? I think not. Now, you have to remember, I H-A-T-E-D hanging up clothes when I was a kid, and for many reasons. 1) We were a family of six. 2) My mother never enforced that we could wear clothes more than once (explain why you need to throw a set of clothes in the dirty basket when all you did was sit and play video games). 3) She never helped us, we were on our own. 4)We had to hang clothes in the heat of the day and in Florida. Nothing worse than having sweat roll down into places it should not be. Need I say more?

I have hung out two loads of clothes out today with my daughter. Now I don't have enough clothespins yet, so I am taking coat hangers and using them to hang up the shirts. I still hang them on the clothesline, but just on coathangers. That frees up more of my pins until I purchase more. My daughter caught on pretty darned quickly on how to hand clothes and why they are hung in certain ways. The more air that can flow through the clothes...the better.

She just ran out and pulled the damp clothes off the line, because there is a huge thunderstorm coming our way, and if you have any experience with clothes on the line and rain, you will know they get very stiff. So we did not get to have them dry 100% on the line, so we threw them in the dryer for a few minutes. We are still saving bundles on our bill and doing great things for Mother Earth.

I Did It

Yep, I have started conserving energy. I am definitely on the side of doing what is right for our planet. I know I know, I am beginning to sound like my tree hugging daughter. that is a good thing to me. And this may sound old, but when your grandchildren come to you and say, "Grandma(pa), what did you do to help save our planet?" What are you going to be able to tell them.

I use canvas bags, and not even take bags when I run into the Quickie Store. Come on, do you really need a bag for that gallon of milk when you are 1 block away from home. Come on! We do not buy excessively packaged products. Bulk is best of you can find it. We have just about lost processed foods.

But today I tried something different. I didn't know if I could do it, but I have been reading other blogs, and if they can do it, then I surely can. So, I had three loads of laundry to do today. So I took the first load and when it stopped I took all hangables and put them on coat hangers and hung them around our patio, and laundry room. When the second load of laundry was done, I did the same and added what was left over to the first load I had not dried as of yet. VIOLA! I saved one load in the dryer. I was so proud of myself. And yes, it is the little things that make the difference.

We will be looking into a clothesline in the next few weeks, but with 8 bills due all in the first week of the month, the clothesline may need to wait. My jury rigging will suffice until then.

I am also washing dishes differently. I used to let the water run a bit more freely. So now I fill one side of the sink with a bit of hot water and only rinse when there are enough dishes to make it worth while. I feel rejuvenated. Does that make me a cheap date...no wisecracks from 'ANY' peanut gallery.