Our Simplicity Plan, Part 5: Kermit was wrong.

Don't get me wrong. I do love me some Kermit. His rendition of Rainbow Connection is one of my favorite songs. What I have learned in over 20 years of bright green living, is that it's actually, with thought and planning, easier to be green than you think. The way I like to think of it as a paint pallet with every shade of green available to us all. Depending on your individual reality, circumstances, and living arrangement, you can be anywhere from pale celery just beginning to make changes green, to deep forest tree protecting green. They are all beautiful colors and all OK. It's about forward motion to lessen our personal impact on this one planet we share, increasing the sustainability of your future, and to allow room for simplicity in your life.

What do being green and living in simplicity have in common? Good question. When you live simply within your means and de-cluttler your life; you shop less, eat more local foods, use less chemicals on/in both your body and living space, use less packaging, create less trash, and are way more apt to reuse, repair, and recycle more, so you are deepening your hue of green just by the way you live. The more simply you live the more aware you become of excess both in your life and around you, and making green changes becomes second nature. And honestly, you do not have to smell like patchouli or wear Birkenstocks to be an eco- conscious person. You can be who YOU are already. Me? I'm me already.

I live green and have been eco- conscious for most of my life. I am both Native American and real old Celtic (ok, so I am prone to worshiping trees). My spirituality includes caring for the earth to the best of my ability. I have been a gardener for most of my life, and another part of my connection to nature comes from a childhood of wandering the woods of central MA and picking wild foods and herbs. I have been studying herbs since I was 16 and now... 23 years of studies, apprenticeships, field work in 4 bio-regions, and a lifetime of wild-crafting later, I will STILL not acknowledge myself as an Herbalist. I am no way a medical practitioner nor do I play one. I simply create herbal products according to requests by well informed people. The Guy, responds to herbs and homeopathic very well and so does the dog. I respond to herbs and supplements very well, but only a few homepathic remedies. The Kid, does well with flower essences. I make everything but the homepathics. To me, this my life, not a trend. If I can't make it, then and only then, will I buy it.

That's me, my reality. Basic steps to start with?

A. A single compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) will pay for itself in about 6 months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb. We received a rebate from our electric company for drastically reducing our electric usage over the past year. Every socket in and on the house has one, and I have not changed a bulb in over a year. Not the heavy use on off bulbs like the hall light or bathroom. Not even the on from 7pm-7am porch light. I also am diligent, being the night owl of the house, to shut off all indoor lights, and being sure the non essential small appliances are unplugged. That leaves a porch light, a 'fridge, and a charging phone and computer. It's made a drastic difference.


B. Green household and personal needs do not have to cost allot of money. I make a basic first aid salve out of antimicrobial desert herbs, an arthritis/fibro soak, cough syrups and throat drops, lip balms, lotions of all sorts, talc free dusting and foot powders, flu remedies, soap, face scrubs and pectin fruit peel masks. There are so many basic needs that can be met in a more simple and green way. I've read about 100 household uses for vinegar alone. I've shared my laundry detergent recipe, and soon there will be more natural beauty and green household care posts. The money saved by the small initial investments for supplies is countless. You lessen your need to depend on the store for a cut or scrape, and the box and tube the Neosporin comes in. There is also an amazing feeling of accomplishment that comes over you when you see and use your handy work. I've refilled that laundry jug 2x so far with my detergent. Every time I open that bucket lid, I smile.

C. C is for compost. Before we got the Wonder Dog, we used to say we compost anything that can't run away. And we did. Everything not meat or oil based, from coffee ground, to tea bags, egg shells, young coconut shells, nut shells, every last bit of produce waste, and every weed free piece of yard waste. The dog likes to eat trash...because he's a dog. We have had to eliminate the egg shell because they make him gag, and the onion or garlic bits because they can make him really sick. I save all of my onion and garlic bits in my stock bag in my freezer, and grind up the egg shells to feed my hibiscus and houseplants. It's important to me to know our food waste is being returned to the earth, not gift wrapped in plastic and trapped for eternity.


While I was sick and not gardening, we slacked on the compost. 4 bags of garbage were leaving this house (of 3-4 people at the time) per week. We are back to worm farming, 2 people, and ONE garbage bag per week. Self contained kits are extremely useful for the novice composter. You just put some yard and produce waste in it daily and tumble it everyday until you have rich composted material. Here in the desert, I use an open round cage of chicken wire. The sun really accelerates the decomposing of plant matter. I need to spray it with a hose 2x weekly to be sure there is enough moisture. People not in Zone 9, probably won't need to do so as often. When we move, I am buying a bag of worms and worm casting to 'seed' my new pile. (And yes, I will be bringing any fully composted material with me as well as a truck load of my (finally perfected) desert garden soil)


I understand that some people just do not have the space or garden to do this. One alternative option is to contact your local community garden and ask if you can dump your compost bucket there. Another, if you live near a farmed area, is to ask local farmers (or petting zoos or rescues) to accept your produce waste for their compost or as animal food. We have a potbellied pig rescue here that loves broken melons, wilted produce, or spotty apples to be dropped off. Some progressive cities are starting compost pick up on trash day. Help make that a reality everywhere by spreading awareness that we ALL need to do something progressive with our food waste.


D. I am rabid supporter of Farmer's Markets, Community Supported Agriculture,  and Co-op's. Local food supports local people! It allows you higher quality food that is produced within 50-100 miles of your house, is fresher, has little packaging, and requires less fuel to bring it to you. Co-op's often offer a large bulk food and household needs departments. I can refill my gallon of castile soap for less money than a new gallon AND reuse the same gallon for years. The same honey jar over and over. The same Bragg's bottle, the same olive oil can. I've been reusing the same containers to refill my grain, seed, nuts, and herb jars for at least 2 years. An old bread bag works great too. And this leads me to...


E. Bring your own shopping bags, every time! I have finally learned to leave my cloth bags in my car so I have NO excuses left. If I by some odd chance forget the bags in the laundry or I have walked, I ask for a box for my groceries. The cashier may look at me funny sometimes, but oh well. This is MY commitment. The box then gets broken down and placed in the recycling within 10 minutes of my bringing it home. It helps remind me I don't want to support a disposable lifestyle and to stay focused on my goals.


F. Set a goal to reduce your use and purchase of paper coffee cups, small water bottles, to-go containers, and other disposable lifestyle products. Some stores, like Whole Food's, now offer degradable corn based containers and picnic ware. Go for it. And don't be shy about bring your own containers with you to work or even a casual dinner out for the left-overs. I started doing this 2 years ago and I've never once been made to feel silly. People always say, "What a good idea!", not, "No, you stinky tree hugger." We buy distilled drinking water in bulk and have a myriad of water vessels of all shapes and sizes. If we run out of water and have to buy a liter to last till I get more, I feel bad. I'm just trained to use a reusable container. I don't like to drink hot drinks out of plastic and refused a reusable coffee mug until I bought a steel lined mug. There's no plastic seasoned bean beverage and no paper or plastic cup if it's my latte treat day.


G. G, could stand for garden and I hope it does for whomever has a strip of earth they can plant seeds in. For ANYONE, though, G, CAN at least stand for GROW. Caring for plants of any kind has many benefits. Your simple houseplant cleans the air your breathe in your house. They also like your music and energy. We've seen Frank Zappa make the ferns sway and the garden responds to my husband's morning watering chatter. If you can grow a tomato plant on a window ledge in NYC, then you are part of the cycle of the Seasons. That simple plant makes people feel more grounded and in rhythm with the natural world. Once the rhythm starts, it becomes a way of life. You feel part of the greater picture. You anticipate the Seasonal changes in diet and exercise. You start thinking about plants all over the world and how important they are to us. I don't want to get too Avatar, but...we really are connected to the natural world around us. Once you see and feel the connection...it gets really easy to be green all the time.


H. H, is for HUMAN. I have a paper towel addiction. It comes from following years of sanitary codes in a life of kitchen work. Crumbled balls of paper towels follow my path. The Kid, is taking my holder and the rest of my rolls from me in the spirit of intervention. (I own cloth feminine products but have 6 rolls of paper towels?) I cut up a huge king size flannel sheet into dozens of absorbent, cotton, reusable kitchen rags and everyday table napkins. The 12 most evenly cut will be set aside to sew to lace scraps I've been collecting for a special set of holiday napkins (using my textile addiction purge to halt my paper towel addiction is smart, I think). By using a neutral yet colorful cloth, they will work with any holiday table. With king sheet sets costing hundreds of dollars, why would I cut one? Do we have a king bed? No. Not since 2004. I am choosing to change what I know I need to. My destiny lies in my own hands, as do my choices.

Summary: Being green and eco conscious is PART of living simply. With some basic steps to start with, anyone, everyone, can make a small difference. Those small, individual differences add up to big changes. You may have to work at it, or it may come more naturally to you. It may be weird at first and you may meet some resistance from people that don't understand. I realized the most vocal opposition came from those less informed in general. They'd rather shoot down the ideas rather than admit they don't get it. Remember this is you life, your choice, your destiny. Make changes at your own pace, for your own reasons. Part 6: Choose your own destiny.