Moving into the Sun

I have a longstanding fascination with very womanly things – homemaking, etiquette, crafts.  I don’t say ‘girly’ because then I think of a six year old me with blonde hair in curls tied up with ribbons, having tea parties with her dolls.  This fascination though is anything but imaginary, but rather deals with very tangible things – the peace of a clean, uncluttered house, with the lingering scent of the lavender oil I add to my homemade cleaners, the way we behave in public to make the experience so much more comfortable and enjoyable for all, or the feel of hand-knit socks as I slip them onto my feet.  Don’t be mistaken, I am still an ardent feminist, but one who delights in traditional feminine roles (for myself – I see no reason to force them on anyone who doesn’t get the same joy I do from them.)

One of the nice things about summer is it means I get to indulge all of these things guiltlessly.  Well ok, mostly guiltlessly – I am working a tech support job with early hours.  I work 6 AM to 2:30 PM.  Mornings have never been my strong suit, but at least they are consistent and I get to enjoy long afternoons while the sunshine lasts.  No late nights though.  I am falling over by 10 PM.  So I get to laze in the warm afternoons, go to the market and sit knitting with my cats.  I cleaned the house top-to-bottom before starting work too, so everything is fresh and organised, and old things have been donated/disposed of as appropriate.  I can simply relax in my uncluttered home, enjoy housekeeping and baking, and do those things I love best – reading and making things!

I take great pleasure from very simple pleasures in life, and in particular things I consider lovely like teacups, and beautifully patterned broadcloth, or when someone leans an old fashioned cruiser bike on a kickstand in front of a flowering bush.  I have discovered Instagram, and have been posting plenty of images of these kinds of moments.  Chances are, I will end up writing about some of them too.  I would also like to change my blog layout over the summer, and learn to program in Wordpress so I can customise everything.  Maybe if I feel it is lovelier I will write more.  Who knows?

Looking For Suggestions...

For ways to green up my lifestyle.

I am trying to incrementally improve my lifestyle and decrease my impact on the environment.  I'm actually doing pretty well and generally feel relatively good about this area of my life, but I know I can do better, and not in an obsessive-compulsive kind of way.  I want to be green, but not insane, sorry to disappoint anyone about to propose moving to an eco-hut outside the city and living like a hermit with no footprint at all on a perfectly self-sufficient mini-farm.

I try to give myself mini-goals, and incorporate some new tip or trick I have run across once a week or every couple of days depending on what it is and well, what it costs.

This week for instance I started turning off the power bars attached to my computers and television when not in use, and stopped brushing my teeth in the shower (it takes too long and uses up more water.)  So any resources, hints or tips would be much appreciated, and I will mention any interesting ones I run across.