suffiently

In our ongoing development of a better way to try and live in the world we have been looking around and learning. I guess our vision tends towards being more self reliant, towards parting with less money for things that we can do or make ourselves, towards having a better quality in our lives, towards only paying money to people or companies that we can respect, towards living in an earthright manner. Much of this comes under terms such as self sufficiency, grow your own, eco friendly etc. We were called hippies by our friends at my birthday dinner.

I didn't mind this, or find it offensive, but I would dispute that it is a fact. I do not think that we are hippies.

Ralph gave me this for my birthday...

In my internet wanderings I think I have come upon an difference between the ways that this type of lifestyle is talked about here in the uk and in america. I may not be seeing straight and obviously I'm biased away from hippy nonsense like the woodland compound with the chive heart that I talked about before. But without trying I have found a few pretty interesting, useful and genuinely inspiring blogs/forums etc and they have all had a much more serious sense about them. They really mean it, they are genuine, it's not a joke. Here it all seems like it's a bit of a hobby. I don't know if it's the type of folk that talk about what they are doing (not me, all the others) but they are all very pleased with themselves.

In the american sites its spoken about in terms of 'the homestead' and urban farming. Much more serious. It seems like it's an extension of the pioneering of the olden days, forging a way forward. No airy fairy rubbish.

I just checked back to the blog that really got me fired up and to my horror and delight, since the day before yesterday, she has put up a post about how she has made a load of winter remedies, lip balms/syrups etc. Crikey. It seems she has it all straight. Angry chicken. I feel ashamed that I managed to achieve so little, but ashamed in the positive inspirational way. I want to borrow a picture but she says she'd rather I didn't, not in person just in faq.

Another place that I'm still trying to work out how to navigate is homegrown. Ralphs friend who farms show bunnies in alaska told him about it. I suppose it's and extended forum with lots of information. You have a page for you so it's a little facebookish. I find it a little confusing as there is so much going on but it's nice to look around. I got some good links to things from there. I think it's mostly american but there is still useful info. Cheese is cheese wherever.


Visit HOMEGROWN.ORG

One green generation is also good to read. This is where I learn't a bit about henna and no poo. No poo is washing your hair without shampoo, maybe using baking soda (must be bicarb in england) and ACV (yeah, apple cider vinegar). Bicarb on scalp, vinegar on hair, nice hair, no having to buy stuff. This is the lovely lady that runs it, and her cat...

I think this may have something to do with one green generation, but I can't quite remember. Simple organic and it's sister sites from simple living look to be mostly aimed at women, with lots of 'mom' stuff but I really like the mix of articles on there. I've only just looked around a bit but will be keeping an eye out. I'm not keen on the adverts but they can be ignored. I just read about a plant called stevia which I've never heard of, a leaf to use for sweetening, great.


None of these places have any air of the hippy and it's really refreshing. I struggle with the overt huggyness, induced wackyness and bad taste of the hippy.