Haven't stopped thinking about the New Year, and inevitably that means self-improvement. Right? It's funny how at the stroke of midnight on the 365th day of the year, we pretend collectively that the slate has been wiped clean and we can Be Better. Except we're just ourselves. Except that shouldn't be an except or a just, because we've earned all of that grime and all of those scratches, and who would want to be wiped clean, really? That would be a recipe for unchecked narcisism.
Some thoughts on our family's carbon footprint. Last year we went down to one vehicle, I started hanging laundry even off-season, did some canning, and attempted to source and eat local food. We also managed to lower our water consumption, but that was probably the new efficient toilets. Our electricity bill continues to climb; we moved in five and a half years ago, and every year we've consumed more electricity, not less. We have added family members during that time, but it's no excuse. So this year, I'd like to do an energy audit, figure out where we're leaking electricity and staunch the flow, train the kids to turn out the lights every time they leave a room, and continue to do many of the things we've started: walk as much as possible; hang the laundry; do more canning and preserving this coming summer; continue to buy local and cook from scratch. There must be other actions we could take, too, that I'm not thinking of right this second.
To add to that, here is a fantasy goal: I'd love to rid my cupboards of any prepared food that I could actually make myself. ie. no more boxed cereal, only homemade granola. Crackers? Bread, of course. Cookies, yes. Butter? Not unless we source our milk off-grid. Will it happen? Unlikely. But it's a dream.
Some other random things I've been contemplating doing ...
Smugness, begone! (Have I become a "Smug Married"? This thought has plagued me, slightly, over the holidays. All the things we consume, how full our house is of comfortable objects, how satiated we are. How much I don't want to give up these comfortable things ...).
Childcare ... I've been thinking that I might enjoy caring for other people's children during the day, or exchanging childcare. This is less fully-formed-thought than persistent notion. It would also be a good goal to have one day per week with nothing extra in it, one day just to hang out at home, read, play, nap, bake (with children, I mean). On the other hand, accepting that there is no Normal, that the day is bound to be broken in many ways by many unexpected occurrences, is really good for the sanity. You can't have a household of six people and expect even one day to run according to Plan. So--flexibility. Going with the flow.
Embracing cliches.
Continuing to write. Think about how to get back to Nicaragua again--and for how long? Maintain and nurture the good things we've got going, but stay critical. Not complacent.
And next post, tell a good story rather than preach.Labels: local food, New Year's, Nicaragua, writing