Coalition Of The Willing

This is a picture of our front yard 

 that is not our house in the background but our neighbour across the road.

Today is a full two months of not smoking - 61 days in total. I am doing very well. Funny though as even yesterday I had finished a cuppa and got up to do something and I went to reach for the smokes. I just stopped and laughed at myself. I actually thought it was funny and I definately didn't want one but WOW - does that show you how addictive they are. So tomorrow I start my third month of not smoking. Only 939 days to go to get to my target of 1000 days of not smoking.

Yesterday I spoke of replacing purchased items with homemade items as they appear on my shopping list. Yesterday I also went to the shops and tryed to buy a common item from my local supermarket that I have been purchasing for years - washing soda (the powdered one and not the crystals) They have deleted the item. I stood my ground and told them that it just wasn't good enough and that if they want me to shop in their huge supermarket then they better get this back in stock asap. I did say this very nicely though but with my clear intentions made. I was getting frustrated because I had just been into Bunnings to get my Borax. They didn't have any and told me that they firstly didn't know what it was and secondly that they don't stock it. I explained that I got the last two containers there and I want it. I live in a reasonably small town and my choices are limited on where I can get these items. They ended up getting 6 packs sent to them and I can pick them up on Tuesday. These are ingredients I use in making my own washing powder and I was going to be making my own dish washing liquid yesterday. Does anyone else find that they are having trouble getting some of these basic items to make your own cleaners etc. I am going to now do a search and see if I can buy some of things in bulk.

Our one Chilli shrub - so many chillies of one plant 

 when you think of the price they charge in shops it is Criminal

Anyway I ended up NOT making my homemade dish washing liquid yesterday but instead I attempted a recipe for homemade sesame seed crackers. YUK. I think I need to find another recipe. But I have mastered the most yummy and perfect homemade Sweet Chilli Sauce to use in cooking or just as a dipping sauce. I also processed all the ripe chillies of our bush. I think I will get one more crop of it before it closes shop for the winter. I have experimented this year as it is the first time to do this. I tried to research it, but seriously I didn't know so many people had so many differing opinions on how to preserve and use up their chilli crop. So I have jars of whole chillies in oil. I assume I will be able to use the oil in cooking stirfrys etc and use the chillies as needed in whatever. I also have made a really hot hot chilli sauce that I can use as a base for other chilli sauces. I have minced chilli in jars in the fridge in a little vinegar. So it is all very exciting and I will see how it all goes. What works will be done again and what does not work will not be done again. Pretty simple really.

These Chillies are HOT, HOT, HOT. A little goes a long way.

I am going to add a list on the side here of things that I am going to make - one at a time as I think of them - from scratch. It isn't always about the money saving of making something. It is, for me anyway, about knowing what is in something, learning the skill to be able to make something myself, which is empowering, and also and really the most important part - about not using heaps of resources to manufacture something in copious amounts of packaging that I can easily make myself.

I am off camping this weekend and will be back online on Tuesday. I hope everyone has a good weekend. Mick and I have waited for a weekend away for quite a while now as the money was tight and my daughter was due for a baby and I wouldn't leave and go anywhere until I knew she was settled at home and is fine with her little family.

She is by the way - her and Charlottes Daddy are doing so well. I am so proud of them and will do a bit of Grammy Photo Bragging next week. Oh OK here is a photo of my Charlotte my precious gorgeous Grand Daughter.

Now to finish of here - I would invite you all to have a look at the link to the site added below - Coalition Of The Willing - it is am animated movie being made in sections which is free for everyone to view. The site will explain more about it but I highly recommend a viewing. It isn't completed as yet and you can be updated as to when a new section has been added but I just watched it (again) from start to finish of what is there so far and it is an awesome message with some seriously great animation. I find one the most amazing things about this project is that these very talented craftspeople are doing this for FREE and sharing for FREE and doing it with open hearts and are truly Co Operating to bring us and as many out there in the world this message. ENJOY and share.

Watch The Film

Peace to you,

Wendy

TIME FOR ACTION and fresh cotton hankies

Well what a wonderful day. I feel at the moment that my mind is going to burst as it is so full of ideas and thoughts. I don't even know where to start with writing and trying to get into words what is in my head.

Over the past few months I have had many things happen in my life to make me stop and consider where I am heading and what was the purpose of it all. I started this blog and in the beginning I listed what my ideal persona would be - what did I really want to be like - I just read it again and it hasn't changed. My list of goals for myself hasn't really changed and I am content to leave them the way they are.

Broad Water Haven, Rules Beach, Qld

For many years - most of my life - I have always wanted to go - just get going - go somewhere - do something - but under no circumstances did I want to stay at home. I didn't want to be boring and honestly held the belief that home was just somewhere to sleep and entertain friends and get ready to go to some place else. This is not the post to get into on why I was like this. The fact is that that is what I was like and since I have moved to my new home a few years back I HAVE CHANGED.

I never want to go out any more - I love my home - I feel safe here - I enjoy myself - and I enjoy my life.Yes there are things that I still want to do but that list has changed slowly over the years as well. My beliefs have come into line gradually with how I am living. Or should I say my life is gradually coming into line with my beliefs.

Since finding blogs and finding a whole world out there of information on how to achieve living the way I wanted to and learning more about the things that I believed in MY LIFE HAS SETTLED. I didn't have labels for my beliefs. I just read about stuff and investigated something further if it interested me or if I wanted to be able to have an opinion on something. I am now finding others who can express so eloquently what is in my head. The biggest challenge at the moment is to walk away from the computer and do the stuff I am learning. I have realised that it has come time to start doing what I have learnt. I can still keep exploring and each day brings something new but it is time to truly start to ACT.

Country Church in Country Queensland, Australia

Like I said, I am a big believer of self education. If you don't know something and want to know then go find out. There is no excuses in this world of information at your fingertips and free librarys and classes etc. I get very frustrated when someone just says something is so just BECAUSE. Tell me why you believe that - tell me where you learnt this information - let us discuss what I have heard and what you have heard and then lets learn more together. Well that is my utopia in my head. People communicating and sharing and learning together.

Then today in a ramble of a conversation I was having with my wonderful husband and my wonderful friend my brother I realised something. I have always been a person to stand of in the shadows. I don't like to be up front. I don't like people to think I think better of myself. I am afraid of saying something in case I don't have all the information correct the first time. And yet I have always been a leader in my work and family and friendships. I lead without even trying. So instead of sitting around my little home town complaining there are no other like minded people - or events - or anyone trying to help others understand our world and how they can make a difference and help themselves and our planet - well maybe I have to step up and start something. I have no idea what that would be but I do know where I can start.

Local Sugar Cane farm being burnt of

On the weekend I spent sometime with some old friends and it was a wonderful weekend. It was good to actually get away and it did me no much good. It was very interesting because this was a catalyst for my final pondering and writing this tonight. My friends and I have known each other for many years. We have not seen each other very often and we last caught up 12 months ago. They work very long hours and their lives are very busy and getting a weekend that suited everyone was interesting to say the least. I was part of that life up until about 3 years ago. I had started to question things before that but it was about 3 years ago that my husband and I put the wheels in motion to make the change we did and move away from the city and become self employed. I had so many things I wanted to do on our 3 acres and we have achieved a fair bit but it is really time to start doing what I set out to do and have fun along the way.

What's that saying that goes something like this - "Knowledge without action is just knowledge". Not having some action seems pointless.

The below link is one of the blogs that I love to read. So much that inspires me and so many beliefs that I have. Take a look around this blog when you have the time.

One Green Generation

One of the things that I have been thinking of and gradually doing is to look at my shopping list and see if there are any items on that list that I could make myself. I find that often I can make an item cheaper but it isn't always about the dollars. It is about not buying another piece of packaging when I can make something at home and recycle containers I already have. It is about knowing what is in my food and products I use in my home or on my body. It is about feeling like I am just that little bit more self suffient. It is about learning new skills so I know I can manage when times are tough. It just just about doing things for myself and it it simply makes me feel good.

I purchased myself a second hand sewing machine recently and have finally sewn some straight lines. You see I have simply no sewing skills at all but I am going to learn. One thing at a time. One of the items on my shopping list was tissues. No more tissues in my home. I had an old sheet in a lovely faded lilac colour and it has now been cut into numerous squares and will each be hemmed into hankies tomorrow. I have a lovely cane basket and all the freshly washed hankies will go into this basket and when me or Mick need to we can just grab a fresh hanky. I just cannot consciuosly use tissues - even if they arer labelled "Green". I don't care how recycled something is and even if the packaging breaks down in my compost - it had to be manufactured and it is truly something I can do without.

Anyway this blog is getting very long so I will say goodnight or good day - whichever is the case and will follow on with this tomorrow.

Peace to you all,
Wendy