Simplifying Life - Mark II

Winchelsea

Sorry - here's the link:
http://carbonnationmovie.com/

ceridwen

That would be good to see when it comes out.

I'd certainly like to see it myself.:D

"Without vision the people perish" and - to me - I think this might be one film that has a bit of "vision" about it. We do need "positive stories" about how we can manage to get through this situation we are all in now.

Now what I would REALLY REALLY love to see is a suitable film made set in the 23rd Century about how those people in the 21st Century (ie us) managed to get through and not just "get through" but "survive and thrive" if it be possible. So - if anyone ever hears of one like that - then do tell..

It is not possible to "get to where we are going" without a vision of what that destination will look like/sound like/feel like. But, if we have that vision, then maybe we can...

maryb

The trailer looked almost as if it coming from a peak oil perspective rather than climate change pure and simple.

Winchelsea

I tend to agree maryb but it seems to me that dealing with climate change and with peak oil is just one big seamless scenario - different causes contributing to the same effects. Difficult to work out where they start and finish except that it's so obvious to many of us (though not to everyone) that carrying on as we are - the business as usual mindset - is heading for crisis, whether that's environmental, economic or whatever.

It's sometimes not easy to remember to stick to the plan of simplifying life. Buy, buy, buy is such a part of modern life. I very nearly bought a new breadmaker last week until I remembered Freegle - and got a "pre-owned" one. And I brought home a shirt of my husband's from the nursing home, and was at least not going to throw it away - I was going to cut it up for cleaning rags. But no, I'm going to turn the collar and get more wear out of it rather than buy another one. And I'm trying not watch as much TV, but am reading, knitting, sewing etc, and listening to my radio with solar charged batteries.


We should all feel proud to be doing all our making do and mending. I used to feel embarrassed about telling people the things I do, but not any more. IMO, the more our ideas are aired, the less strange they'll seem.

In the words of the old saying:

Use it up
Wear it out
Make do,
Or do without

maryb

I've often thought that they might get more buy-in from the public about the need to reduce our use of fossil fules because they will get more and more expensive rather than emphasising global warming. But I'm sure no politician wants to refer to it in any but the most oblique terms eg reducing reliance on the Middle East/energy security

The worst thing that could happen is replacing oil with coal to keep the lights on when it becomes obvious there is a problem - that would make for much more warming and all the pollution problems that come with such a "dirty" fuel. Reducing use now would be the ideal. Trouble is, if it's left to the market and price mechanisms to force a cutback in oil use, the poor suffer most - in the West they can't afford to heat their homes, or to travel and their jobs are at risk because high oil prices tend to result in recessions. In the developing world, they can, literally, starve.

mama67

Winchelsea wrote: »

So after all that I haven't got the sewing things out. My husband is in a nursing home with severe dementia, and I've got a few woollies of his that I've knitted over the years, but don't want to take them in to the home, as their tumble dryer has shrunk a few things since he's been there. So, a navy blue v-neck jumper will make me a lovely cardigan if I stitch two lines on the front, cut between them, finish the edges neatly and put on some buttons and button holes.

Don't know if this would help you but we had the same problem with shrinking clothes when my dad was in a nursing home; A note was left pinned up in his room above where the dirty laundry would go stating that all jumpers/cardis were to be left for family to take and wash, myself and my sister used to take whatever was there and then return it next visit. I think we maybe bought a couple of extra cardis to replace the shrunk ones but that was all.

ChocClare

I work in a care home and we regularly - not weekly or even monthly but regularly - have some TINY garment brought in where some numpty has washed it on a boil wash. It's incredibly annoying as we always replace any garment which is ruined in this way.

Honestly, we haven't generally got idiots working for us. They all do their own washing at home and are generally clean and neat and tidy. I don't know why it is that they do the most unlikely things. One "girl" (she is 60) put a brand new white slip in with a load of black/dark coloured things the other day and wondered why it came out grey. She said, oh, it's polyester so I didn't think it would run. The manager said to her, do you wash white things with black things at home? Er, well no... And who would wash WOOL trousers from a suit without checking the label first? The same people who put woollen jumpers in 90 degree washes apparently...

ceridwen

One for those who are interested in the Amish. Link to the BBC programme on last night about "Leaving Amish Paradise" (only works for a week!)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zmdg8

Havent seen it myself yet - as I got distracted by a "nuisance factor" currently going on in my life...:mad:

(Have to admit that I am already wondering why I bought a tv again recently - as I think I've watched about 2 programmes on it since doing so....guilt factor....as I wont watch it unless there is a specific programme I have decided to watch and then if something comes up to prevent me seeing it....).

GreyQueen

ceridwen wrote: »

One for those who are interested in the Amish. Link to the BBC programme on last night about "Leaving Amish Paradise" (only works for a week!)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zmdg8

Havent seen it myself yet - as I got distracted by a "nuisance factor" currently going on in my life...:mad:

(Have to admit that I am already wondering why I bought a tv again recently - as I think I've watched about 2 programmes on it since doing so....guilt factor....as I wont watch it unless there is a specific programme I have decided to watch and then if something comes up to prevent me seeing it....).

I rang the folks last night and got them to record that for me. I usually visit them about every 6-8 weeks, so I'll catch up with it at some point, provided they don't lose the tape in the interim!

System

Hi all, just passing through but wanted to make a few points concerning my own life particularly.

As a child i led a very simplified life. Money was short, Mom and Dad didnt have a car and my dreams consisted of marrying Donny Osmond and having a large family of my own.

Of course, things dont always work out the way you want them to and although i did have a relatively large family of my own. It was hardly how i imagined it would be. Organisation and simplicity sort of went out of the window the more children i had. Although i never had to go out to work, bringing up 5 children ranging from 15 to a newborn was a job in itself.

As i am getting older, i find that i need the solitude i had when i was a little girl. I would sit in my bedroom for hours, writing and reading. Getting my homework done and just putting my head together.

Now 3 of the children have left home (the 4th will be flying the nest very soon) and the last few years have been mentally traumatic for me and i'm trying to get some order and some peace into my life again.

You never know whats round the corner and i dont like suprises so i'm trying to get some happiness back..... but happiness starts from within..... So i'll start by getting some control back in my life so i'll start by uncluttering my head and my home.

I'll get there.