Recent Comments

1. Don't just recycle, Freecycle - 14 Oct 2006

   Just joined my local FreeCycle group and it’s fascinating. Amazing range of stuff on offer, and it’s made me realise how things I might consider junk can actually be really useful to someone else. Would recommend this to anyone. Have rooted out some bits and bobs to offer. Just hope someone wants them…...

2. Encourage Others To Go Generous - 14 Oct 2006

   As hubby is a vicar, we have written about Generous in our parish news sheet and recommended it to our housegroup members. Many who are not computer literate enough to feel confident joining an e-community are still acting on things we pass on from the website, plus it’s tremendously encouraging to find out how much people around us HAVE been doing to live generously. Here we were, acting like the generous lifestyle is some new thing we just discovered, and some of our parishioners have been at it faithfully behind the scenes for years. Keeps us humble…. They’ve just smiled indulgently at our enthusiasm and tapped us for fresh ideas. On the other hand, to some it’s come across as almost revolutionary. The occasional appeal in a sermon has caused a few sparks too….

3. Give Thanks Before A Meal - 14 Oct 2006

   I chose this action for our kids to do because it was something they could contribute. We have always said grace since my husband and I were kids ourselves, but it’s been much more of a ceremony since our own kids were old enough to join hands around the table. My daughter Danni (3 1/2) says grace beautifully and you can tell how much she likes what she’s about to receive by how short grace is – short means ‘get on with it!’ Our tiny son (16 months) babbles his own grace now too, in which only ‘ankoogod’ and ‘amen’ is recognisable. Often it’s the only time we pray together as a whole family and it adds to the sacredness of shared meals too. Loving it!

4. Switch To Energy Saving Lightbulbs - 14 Oct 2006

   We have been using energy saving bulbs in some of our fittings since we first heard of them from my really great (really, not kidding!) mum-in-law who is so green she has solar panels on her roof and is going to dig her own well! We have had our bathroom light fitting replaced recently and, as it’s the light we keep on all night as a faint reassuring glow for my toddler who dislikes going to the loo in the dark. We had to buy a bigger shade but it all worked out well. However, in our kitchen and dining room we have those modern strips of 4 stainless steel mini-spotlights that we stupidly bought because they looked cool, without thinking of the environment. Do they make any mini energy-saving bulbs that fit these kinds of contraptions? Being burdened with two under fives I can’t just browse B&Q to find out…

5. Stop Taking Plastic Bags From Shops - 14 Oct 2006

   I realised how many carrier bags we were accumulating when I started recycling them a few years back and had a bulging sack of them within a week. It was scary! Now I try to remember to carry my own bags, but I’m terribly forgetful. If buying locally I bung things under the buggy, but in supermarkets it’s harder.

   I do keep a stock of carrier bags for wrapping up fish or chicken carcasses as we have a fox problem round our way (plus three cats in our house!) I use the biodegradable ones though. Only problem is, they do degrade quite fast. The other week, I found that the part of my stash at the back of the cupboard was almost powder and I have to remember not to pack stuff for the loft in them!

   I was reassured to read some of the posts above, as my biggest failing is lining the bin with plastic bags as I am too tired/lazy to wash out the bin each time I empty it, but I HAVE stopped putting loads of things in the bin and am recycling them instead, meaning I DO get through less bags and I only use one bin now.

   I just feel like I have a long way to go….. and I’m a dunce at sewing so I’ll just have to buy my fabric bags….failure as a vicar’s wife, me….can’t arrange flowers either ;-)