Consuming less, creating more

It is amazing to me, as I go about my daily life of information overload, the amount of advertising that I am bombarded with. I click on a news story, and before the story will play, a commercial does. I can't stand to read most magazines, since every other page is an ad--take a look at most women's interest mags for an example. I was at a friend's house, flipping through the Oprah Mag, one I don't normally read. Even on the pages of text are ads squashed on the far sides of the pages.

I think I am highly susceptible to marketing in general. I will try a brand or switch to a new one if I like the packaging, I love funny commercials, even if I abhor the product. It is sick. That is why I am doing the Compact. I have pledged not to buy anything new for the next year, with the exception of a few basics (food, medicine, toiletries, socks and underwear). I also will buy consumable art supplies when needed. But I really processed the problem of consumerism at our local Wal-Mart. Yes, friends, I shop at Wal-Mart more than my fair share--it has become the biggest industry in our tiny town. I was first amused, then annoyed, and then really appalled at the holiday time line set by our Wal-Mart store. I was in the store a week before Halloween, and they were setting up the Christmas displays. As the holiday season wore on, the number of glassy eyed, angry faces I saw meandering the aisles grew and grew. The Christmas carols, which I love, were being scoffed at as people shoved and yelled and shopped their way into debt, rather than enjoying the holiday. Now, here it is in the beginning of January, and you can buy all the Valentines day schmaltz you can carry.

So far, being a Compacter is rad (yes, I said rad. Deal with it). I have been more creative in the kitchen--old baby food containers are a great size for ranch dip to take to work with me, a container that mushrooms came in works great for a waste basket while cleaning veggies, etc. I am looking forward to my trip to the Hospice store this weekend. I want to find some shelves to organize my art supplies, and I am looking for yarn to continue my knitting habit (its only 2 skeins a week, and I can stop anytime I want). Most important to me, whether I can go a whole year without buying new or not, is that I am less wasteful and more creative with what I already have. Paid off credit card debt, here I come! Oh, and its good for the environment, too.

Knitting

I have been knitting like mad with the Knifty Knitter tools. I have made 3 scarfs, 3 hats, and a couple of bags now. I am getting a bit more adventurous with the devices and have made some really quality stuff. I am thrilled with the Knifty Knitters!

I found a way to create your own durable and reusable plastic grocery bags by knitting the ones that you get at the store. This blog has steps for making plastic bag yarn: http://hellejorgensen.typepad.com/gooseflesh/2007/02/plastic_bag_yar.html while others still have instructions for using heat to fuse bags into a durable fabric.

Plastic bags are such a wasted item in our culture, and I am pleased to see so many people joining the movement to reuse the ones that are already out there as well as use more sustainable alternatives so that we will not be adding more to the world. I am excited to experiment with such alternatives.

Happy Birthday to Kilauea Eruption!

It has been 25 years since the beginning of the current Kilauea eruptions which has added 500+ acres to the Big Island of Hawaii and covered several populated areas, including the small town of Kalapana. To read the US Geological Survey's assessment of the lengthy eruption, visit their website at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/current_issue.html

The activity of the volcano and the Volcano Goddess, Madame Pele is the subject for much of the art and lore that comes out of Hawaii, and with good reason. The terrible beauty and constant threat of the volcano is very much in the mind of any island resident or visitor. It is amazing to stand on new earth, as you can at the New Black Sand Beach in Kalapana, and frightening to imagine that possibly thirty feet below you was someone's home, covered in lava. While it is a difficult trek, to hike out to the lava, it is worth it to see the glow of lava coming over the hill, to see the steam plume as it hits the ocean, and wonder where Madame Pele plans to go next.

Happy 2008

Welcome to a new year. It is exciting to think about the new year, and to view it as a starting point for changes. It is really an arbitrary marker, but it is so ingrained in us that we can resolve to be a better person starting on this date. Well, I bought into the hype, and have made some resolutions:

-I will recycle, reuse and reduce more--I won't buy new things if I can help it (see the compact: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thecompact/)
-I will learn more and talk less
-I will be creative every day
-I will drink more water and eat more veggies
-I will give credit where it is due

It is going to be a great year--I know it!