Rolling? Nah….more like putzing along.

Well, much to my great disappointment, I was not accepted to the program that I had applied to.  The assessment was long and rather in-depth but the essence is:  my ideas have great merit, I harbor tremendous passion for my work, BUT (there it is…) I carry too much personal debt to make a go of right now.

What this means, really, is that it’s just going to take longer to get to where I want than initially thought.  I can live with this.   As much as I was hoping to be able to hop on the body care product production bandwagon, this just translates to “slow down idiot, you have a lot of things on the go”.  And truly, Karma is right.

I have the organic farm we’re building (www.summerberryorganics.com) I’ve been invited to teach skating this winter at several different clubs, I have a job as a clerk at the local grocery store.   Staying organized is going to be a challenge.  BUT…(love that word) I can do this!

Gardening season is coming to a close so then it will be a matter of breaking out the skating manuals and attendance sheets and trying to remember which days I have to be on the ice and which days I have to be at the grocery store.  In the interim, I think I’ll just blog about the daily life of a sworn Hippie.

In my morning ceremony of drinking coffee, checking my Facebook and reading any bits of e-mail that popped up, I found an interesting bit on the Mother Nature Network today.

Photo: JPhilipson/FlickrThe article is entitled “Get On Board The Non-Consumption Train”

It’s a good article that outlines and VERY simple method for mindful spending of your hard earned cash.

If everyone who shops (girls too!) took a moment when they are standing with that MUST HAVE item in their hand and really put some thought into answering the following questions, I think that things would change very quickly:

1. Is this purchase something I need?
2. Do I already own something that will serve the same purpose?
3. Can I borrow one instead of buying new?
4. Can I make something that will serve the same purpose?
5. Can I buy a used one?
6. Would someone be willing to split the cost and share this with me?
7. Can I buy or commission one made locally?
8. Can I buy one that was made with environmentally responsible materials?
9. Can I buy one that serves more than one purpose?
10. Can I get something human powered instead of gas or electric?
11. Can I compost or recycle it when I’m done with it?
12. What is the impact on the environment of the full life cycle of it?
13. Does the manufacture or disposal of it damage the environment?
See, not that big a deal to think about these when you are about to part with cash.  Here’s a link to the article:

http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/responsible-living/stories/get-on-board-the-non-consumption-train

I do hope that I am getting this “credit where credit is due” etiquette right.  I’m sure eventually I’ll figure out the details of the technical end of things.

Just a couple of other bits that I think should be added to the Non-consumption passenger list….

A.  Is the item locally available?  I believe that supporting businesses in your own backyard is crucial to the survival of many towns and even neighborhoods in big cities.

B.  IF I have to venture forth for the item in question, is it REALLY worth the trip?  Is driving for a half tank of fuel really worth the trip if a local business can order it for half the cost of the gas to go pick it up?

Just a few little things to think about BEFORE you get to the check out.