Recent Comments

1. Make A Positive Lifestyle Change And Tell Us About It - 29 Oct 2005

   I’ve started giving tips at cafes, for taxi rides, etc.

2. Use your LOAF at the shops (Local, Organic, Animal-Friendly and Fair Trade) - 29 Oct 2005

   Did you know Dairy Crest Milkmen will deliver organic veg boxes ?

3. Get Rid Of Some Of Your Books - 29 Oct 2005

   I only do this when the house can’t hold any more.

4. Get Rid of Your Car - OK, ambitious, but... - 29 Oct 2005

   We have never had a car. I only miss having it occasionally when we need to get to some out of the way place in the country.

   I’ve bought houses near work, shops, church and other facilities so don’t need to travel long distances.

5. Wear Your 'Make Poverty History' Band - 29 Oct 2005

   Lapsed as the band irritated my wrist.

6. Choose to have one meat-free day a week in your home - 29 Oct 2005

   W loves cooking and we have acres of recipes. What is hard is eating 5 fruit or veg a day every day. Also cooking for 1 a veg meal always seems easier than cooking for 2 or more. She finds the endless inclusion of cheese in many dishes hard since she has to avoid it. Eating a vege dish out is easy.

   W says like most living generously projects it is down to an act of will to keep to newly formed habits—plus the Grace of God.

7. Consider those lonely at Christmas - 08 Jan 2006

   It is not picking on someone as such but we have friends who regularly have people for meals, some weekly, some less frequently – some close friends, some not. It is just something they do and have tended to do for years. They also arrange party events for people in the churches they goto in order to celebrate big birthdays / anniversarys. We can only aspire to such energy and generosity.

8. Choose to have one meat-free day a week in your home - 04 Feb 2006

   This is getting easier and as it does we are getting more successful at it. Leith’s Vegetarian Cookbook has proved really helpful as an inspiration plus the veg box.

9. Use your LOAF at the shops (Local, Organic, Animal-Friendly and Fair Trade) - 04 Feb 2006

   http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/farmingtoday/index.shtml

   Check out this site. There is a focus on eating in season food this year. 2 families are being followed. Farming Today and the Food Programme ( both radio 4) are working on this together. Some interesting debate going on.

10. Recycle Your Old Mobile - 12 Feb 2006

    A friend lent us a mobile for the short duration of our need. How was that for kindness ?

11. Encourage Others To Go Generous - 12 Feb 2006

    Share news articles / ideas with people.

12. Become a Fair Trader - in your community or workplace - 12 Feb 2006

    Technically helping out our fairtraders out at church setting up, selling , putting stuff away.

13. Energy Efficient Cooking - 13 Feb 2006

    W tried this tonight for the first time with spuds and it worked!Also tried it on heating through a dish with extra vege. Again the results were fine.

14. Buy 'Making Terrorism History - 13 Feb 2006

    W picked the book up today and also likes the way it is laid out with concrete examples. So stage 2 is to read the book before doing anything else with it.

15. Take A Mug To Work - don't use plastic - 15 Apr 2006

    A school in Oxford found it was cheaper to give staff coffee made a person with a hot water boiler than it was to invest in a rented vending machine.

    The person made filter coffee and pots of tea at break times (3 times a day), washed up cups and laid out biscuits in the staff room.

    Yes proper cups with saucers.

16. Make A Positive Lifestyle Change And Tell Us About It - 15 Apr 2006

    Finally ordered a bike and a trike. Should pick them up next week, don’t drive at all so these will be used instead of taxis and to get a bit further than walkng can us.

    W has been looking at trikes for months trying to work out the best and talking about the practicalities for a few years. So this is a big step for her.

17. DIY vegetables! - 15 Apr 2006

    Trying our tomatoes in the open soil rather than a pot this year. That’s to try and beat the drought.

    I see there are several places selling things which you can attach to plastic bottles to create self watering systems. Poss useful to you Wulise ?? How is the prep going ?

18. Buy 'Making Terrorism History - 15 Apr 2006

    W is still meaning to read the book before she posts it to our MP. Mind you since he’s just done his latest “see what I’ve done update” perhaps it will act as an inspiration.

19. Plant A Tree - 15 Apr 2006

    Bought an olive tree which will stay in a large pot in the garden and be put in the unheated greenhouse in the winter.

20. Consider those lonely at Christmas - 15 Apr 2006

    In the Lent meditation this week we were reminded that Judas was at the meal with Jesus before he was betrayed. Thus Jesus ate with him.

    What an endorsement to be with those we find hard rather than those we like or who can return our hospitality.

21. Recycle Your Stuff - 15 Apr 2006

    A Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development box is supposed (according to the website) to be found over in Popeswood Bracknell near the Post Office

22. Become a Fair Trader - in your community or workplace - 15 Apr 2006

    Still helping but as it is on a regular basis and sometimes when the fair traders are away I reckon this is a done action :-)

23. Energy Efficient Cooking - 15 Apr 2006

    This has led us to actually switching the hob off when not in use at the mains and the same for the microwave.

    The process for perfect pasta works with most vege + rice.

24. Recycle Your Greetings Cards - 15 Apr 2006

    All packed up and ready to go but still in the house.

25. Organise Your Money (What You Want To Give Away) - 27 May 2006

    Still giving but its not really organised.

26. Know your local political leaders - 06 Jun 2006

    Our council has set up a commuters champion. W has raised some questions re the taxi situation in our town. Interesting the commuter champion is the only one to have asked for input from people via the community champions webpage.

    The full list is as follows:

    Pensioners’ Champion Tenants’ & Leaseholders’ Champion Voluntary Sector Champion Commuters’ Champion Small Business Champion

    So let’s see what feedback we get.

27. Give it up for Christmas - 06 Jun 2006

    Planning ahead.

28. Buy An Ethical T-Shirt (Support Someone In A Developing Country) - 18 Jun 2006

    The Comic Relief T-Shirts are being made from fairly traded cotton. So well worth supporting.

29. Know your local political leaders - 18 Jun 2006

    An acknowledgement of the email came quite quickly with a promise to look into the issues raised but nothing more as yet.

30. Know your local political leaders - 09 Sep 2006

    Just to follow up the council chap who is the commuter champion did not get back re the issues raised – except for his initial acknowledgement. But there was an article in the local paper re the issue.

31. Love books? Join the library - 09 Sep 2006

    Joined but trips are few and far between to our public library. W uses one through work however.

32. Put Eco Balls in your Washing Machine - 09 Sep 2006

    Lakeland now has some which are rubber and act like a washboard when placed in the washing machine—as opposed to the type with little beads in them.

33. See An Inconvenient Truth. - 23 Dec 2006

    Took W and it made her think about inclunding Solar power in the house. Discussed maybe doing the hot water system. Had alaready thought of insulating the flat roof – which is currently leaking in places. Ah well.

34. Plant some bulbs - 23 Dec 2006

    Just popping through in the planters despite the cold fog.

35. Give Something Away - and declutter your life - 31 Jan 2007

    So has anyone else found that as you clear more seems to creep in ?

36. Become a Fair Trader - in your community or workplace - 03 Feb 2007

    Don’t forget Fairtrade Fortnight is coming up. Late Feb – 11th March ‘07

    Why not have Fairtrade Tea Party or a recipe swapping session.

37. Ladies: Consider a mooncup! - 03 Feb 2007

    W says washable pads are also easy to use.

38. Ditch The Disposable Items - 03 Feb 2007

    If you buy fat balls, to feed the birds, in those buckets why not use the bucket around the garden afterwards for compost kitchen collection, or to catch extra water etc.

39. Know your local political leaders - 25 Mar 2007

    MP turned up on our door step yesterday. So an excuse to send him a influential book – especially as he voted for trident.

40. Buy 'Making Terrorism History - 25 Mar 2007

    MP came round and so perfect chance to get that book sent off.

41. More tea vicar? (Don't overfill your kettle.) - 29 Aug 2007

    So if done means still doing and have got into a routine I think we’ve cracked this :-)

42. Energy Efficient Cooking - 29 Aug 2007

    One of the Mennonite cook books has a method of cooking in a box. The idea is get the pan going then place in a box and wrap with a blanket. That allows the cooking process to continue they say. Not tried myself but interesting.

43. Get Rid Of Some Of Your Books - 29 Aug 2007

    Yes it is very hard but I’m determined, after buying a few from Greenbelt, to weed out and give some more to Oxfam.

44. DIY vegetables! - 22 Nov 2007

    Red potatoes seemed less prone to slug damage than the white ones. Just dug up some more.

45. Walking ... It's The Way To Go - 22 Nov 2007

    Not a walking comment as such – but its really hard to get some people to realise sometimes that you do just want to cycle or can get home under your own steam. Makes it harder to do the right thing.

46. Switch to Green Household Cleaners - 12 Apr 2008

    Hard as half this household is working on this but the other half still prefers bleach and ordinary soap powder.

47. Buy 'Making Terrorism History - 12 Apr 2008

    Book still not sent off! Much to my shame. But I’m thinking of passing it on via Oxfam.

48. Buy Ethical Palestinian olive oil - 04 May 2008

    Traidcraft now sell this

49. Choose to have one meat-free day a week in your home - 14 May 2008

    Still doing this – some weeks it is easier than others. Just made veg box weekly so that will really boost progress.

    Mind you should make the summer interesting if we get bumper crops from the veg plot as well.

50. Choose to have one meat-free day a week in your home - 14 May 2008

    Still doing this – some weeks it is easier than others. Just made veg box weekly so that will really boost progress.

    Mind you should make the summer interesting if we get bumper crops from the veg plot as well.

51. Give Something Away - and declutter your life - 14 May 2008

    New second hand bookshop in Bracknell town center. Its down the bit which heads to towards the cycle shop moving away from the band stand.

52. Tread Lightly, Live Generously - 14 May 2008

    Great look and very easy to use. Feels like it works faster as well.

53. Go Local - Join A Food Cooperative - 23 Nov 2008

    Check out this group:

    Every Friday, right around the same altar where Saint Gregory’s offers communion, they give away free groceries to all comers, as many as 500 hungry families. They provide literally tons of fresh fruits and vegetables, rice, beans, pasta, cereal, bread; and share peaceful, beautiful space. The pantry is run entirely by volunteers -almost all of them people who came to get food and stayed to help out- and there are no requirements for receiving food. Everyone is welcome to recieve and to give.

    The St. G project is an Episcopal Church in San Francisco. Its really inspiring and the web site has stacks of resources.

    The Greenbelt Festival had them as speakers this year and it was a real challenge.

54. Commit random acts of generosity - 23 Nov 2008

    The hardest bit of this is doing it without someone affected finding out. You do something and someone notices. That starts discussion which is nice its sometimes better to just do the act without adulation or thanks. That’s more generous some how.

    Having said that earlier this year someone saw a random act and said it really restored their faith in humanity. That was encouraging.

55. Start An Allotment - Or Half A Plot - 23 Nov 2008

    This is actually the second year and it was much harder, a rough start almost led to it being given up. However with a little random generosity in our house ,towards each other (the non gardener pitching in to help), stuff got planted and a harvest happened.

    There seem to be lots of new starts on the space this year and our town has started an allotment society.

    The council is also taking more of a firm line re keeping an eye on what’s happening and ensuring that holders do not slacken. This is due to the waiting list for them getting longer.

    The non gardener’s comment is that she really loved sitting up their in the evening and seeing so much sky.

    If you haven’t tried give it a go.