Simplifying Life - Mark II

ceridwen

Charis wrote: »

Thanks, Ceridwen. I've watched a couple and they are very interesting. At least the four hours is divided into manageable chunks :rotfl:

Seriously though, I think she captures the thing that is going to turn the tide if anything will, the idea of being responsible for ourselves and how we personally affect all that goes on.

We seem to have lost that concept. On the one hand we swallow all the rubbish about buying a better life by buying this or that product. On the other we have lost confidence in our own ability to do so many things for ourselves. Even simple things like sewing and cooking. We have, effectively, given our power away to those who sell us useless products to make us feel that we are 'worth it'. It might be less serious if we were not damaging our own health and that of the Earth in the process. Time to take back our lives, I think.

Right-o - will tackle that video when I can find enough time for a good long "watch". It is a point - that we have lost confidence to do things ourselves and I think we've also been "brainwashed" into automatically thinking along lines of "what shall I buy for it then?" each time we want an item to fulfil some purpose or other - cant think of an example readily springing to mind right now - but I know I've often caught myself recently thinking the usual "I need to buy so-and-so to do such-and-such" and then realising "Hang on a minute - that thing I've got already will serve the purpose" - so a bit more repurposing has gone on and I've saved my money and "consumed" one less item - I guess it takes a bit of time for it to become an automatic way of thinking...still a work in progress.

That "because you're worth it" advertising slogan has a lot to answer for - it takes a bit of doing to retrain your mind round to thinking instead "Well....actually.....something bad has happened (again!)...and I will feel better about myself if I...." and then substitute something like "go for a walk in the countryside" or "find a really good book to read" or something instead of the usual "spend a bit of money on a useless gewgaw that will only clutter up the house and wont make me feel any better at all".

sarahs999

Hello all. Not been on this thread for a while but I have to say, whenever it pops up in my list I feel calmer, like it's a little oasis I can head to! I have a big pile of stuff still for charity shops that is gradually dwindling, but most is bric a brac and they don't seem to go for that any more. It's not even really freecycleable, it's just odds and sods. Anyway I finally got rid of two old mobile phonesthat have been lurking around - tried to see if I could get any money for them but they're so out of date there was no chance! One of them was only about three years old. Is there not something wrong with the world when three-year-old things are too out of date to have worth? We seem to be rushing towards a precipice.

rosieben

sarahs999 wrote: »

... Anyway I finally got rid of two old mobile phonesthat have been lurking around - tried to see if I could get any money for them but they're so out of date there was no chance! One of them was only about three years old. Is there not something wrong with the world when three-year-old things are too out of date to have worth? We seem to be rushing towards a precipice.

Not sure how you managed to get rid of your old phones sarah, but some charities will send free postal bags for mobiles which they recycle and make a little cash. Just a few links, but there are loads more; you could google your favourite charity to see if they send out the baggies. A few links for anyone who's interested

Breast Cancer Campaign
International Glaucoma Association
Heart UK
Down's Syndrome Association

Charis

sarahs999 wrote: »

Is there not something wrong with the world when three-year-old things are too out of date to have worth? We seem to be rushing towards a precipice.

We are, according to the video Ceridwen recommended yesterday.
www.turntowardlife.tv/joanna_macy_workshop_video/about.htm
It's in the one that's over ten minutes long, divided into three parts. Don't worry, it's a very positive video about what we can do as individuals to embrace the change that is coming anyway.

mary43

Don;t you just think you take four steps forward and six steps back ????
Everything going fine................oldest boy off to work in London last night for a few weeks, youngest at his mums and back today...........then we found out there's water seeping through his bedroom walls and coming in through the window !!!!!:eek: Don't know whether its the gutter, the walls needing pointing or both !! Have rung the builder..........be there at 5pm he says - not here yet !!! Wouldn't be so bad but he came and did some roof work for us earlier on this year and I'd have thought he might have noticed anything else............still, maybe not -and I must remind myself that these hiccupps are nothing to the problems of the flood victims last year.

On top of that e mail from big bruv to tell me Doctor was called out to Mum this morning as she's not so good. Tried to phone the home but no reply -expect they're busy and change over of staff will mean they might not know whats what. They had said they'd phone bruv if needed anyway and nothing so far.
We're going down on Friday...............do hope she's feeling a bit better by then.

I'd had a lovely morning too.........girl came to see me who used to live with us........breath of fresh air she always was and it was lovely to see her again.
Christmas packaging was going fine too...............so everything very positive till about an hour ago !
Sorry for little winge...................just felt the need to offload.



Builder has just been..........reckons he can fix problem and be here tomorrow or wednesday - didn't ask how much....................lol
Radiator in that room isn't working either for some reason and my guarantee for boiler has just run out.......................been shopping around for boiler and c/heating cover but not taken any out yet.........typical - still builder says he can fix that as well...........regular mr. fixit chap...............lol
Feel better now he's been

Rowan9

Hoping everything is ok for your mum, Mary. Sorry also to hear about the leaking water. I'm glad the builder showed up.
Simplifying my life by going off for an early night with a book ( from the library)

mary43

No news about Mum so I'm working on the principle of no news being good news and hoping...............builder came last night, thinks its the gutter so its outside job and he'll be here either later today or tomorrow.........he tends to me a 'manyana' man so hopefully he'll be here in the morning -fingers crossed.

(not sure I spelt manyana right..............lol)

mary43

Just quick update -
Mums now on another lot of antibiotics so hopefully they'll do the trick
Builder has been and hopefully cured the damp problem (take a while to check that out this time of the year)
Finished wrapping everything now for santa drop (hope I've not forgotten anything -I've checked and double checked )

Now I find the land line phone not working !!! Rang BT - they said no problem with phone line..............broadband working ok...........unplug phone from kitchen and plug it into front room and it works !!! Bit of a pain as its a wall hanging phone so its not only looking a bit odd laying on the table there's dangly wires that the cats have their eyes on !! Still, least its working -must be something wrong with the kitchen socket -not worrying about that for the time being anyway.
Young lad goes off to his Mums after school tomorrow so we've all day to get outselves organised, packed and sorted for going away. Honest, you'd think we were going for a fortnight...............we're coming back on Monday...............................lol:rotfl:

So, thats an update on me and my household...............if I'm not around tomorrow I'll catch up with you all Tuesday next week:j

rosieben

Mary, I hope you find your mum recovered and well. Enjoy your weekend

mary43

rosie - thanks. Don't suppose Mum will be that brilliant -from what her friend said when I spoke to her today she has such a dreadful cold and cough and with her being how she is she can't shift a cough quite like we can, let along take sips of water or anything. Still, if she's awake and knows we're there that'll be something.
BT phoned back a minute ago (they said they would after I rang their helplike earlier). Looks like there's something wrong with the phone socket in the kitchen and it'll be cheaper to get an electrician out than to get BT. Oh eck.,,,,,,,,more expense !!
Oh well, could be a lot lot worse.