This is on my mind....

I have been thiking about how to create a simple (or simpler) more self sufficient lifestyle, and have been taking my first steps at gardening using potted herbs.

This is a photo of my Purple Krill tomato plant.

Thanks Rhonda for such a great blog, I am really enjoying it.



Life changes

I have been contemplating a major life change lately.

Thanks to some special blogs that I have been enjoying lately, such as Connie's from Dirty Footprints Studio which is all about living a creative life BIG and FEARLESSLY. And Rhonda's blog Down to Earth showing how freeing it is to leave the mainstream consumer focused life behind for living simply and creating a more enriching and productive lifestyle.

As a small start, I have been learning and experimenting with growing my own herbs. Albeit there are only a few, but it's still very exciting and special to use them in my cooking. I have also been growing a lemon tree for the last couple of years, which hasn't produced any fruit for me yet, but I love it anyway. Its like my little baby which I bend down to every day and inspect its leaves and branches lovingly to make sure its healthy, and water it with affection, and shoo away those pesky bullies the earwigs.

The only thing that's holding me back is fear. I am afraid of letting go of my consuming & STUFF. I am also afraid that people may not like me anymore if I dont wear the right clothes, shoes or makeup. What if I start to look tired from all of the extra work and my partner doesnt like what he sees? He wont of course because he is a beautiful kind hearted person and I believe that he sees & loves the good in me also. But these are the concerns that are stopping me from enriching my life.

How did it come to be, that I now see my worth in the things that I wear and the stuff that I have, rather than the person that I am. I have lead an interesting life I think. I have interesting stories to tell and ideas to convey, I have kindness to share, and love to give. Why do I feel that nobody will love me if I decide to just be me instead of an image I feel I should project?

I want to believe that success comes from how people remember you. Nobody will remember what car you drove in 2010, or what brand shoes you wore on Thursday 2nd December 2010. But they will remember the type of person you were & how you treated them. They will remember how you made them laugh, and what you did that made them cry, the kindness you showed them when they needed it and the delicious meal you cooked and shared with them. This is what I am going to focus on from now on andhopefully very soon it will become a true belief, and then a new way of living. Hopefully I can shake off the chains of consumer addiction.

Oh, and I made my bed this morning. How nice it is to look forward to hopping into a nice tidy bed at the end of the day. I love this post over at Down to Earth on Starting your Simple Life. Enjoy :)

Lunchtime art

So, I have been trying to start an art journal and have had a little trouble either mustering up the courage to start or being just plain lazy. I've been telling myself it's because I am time poor, but that is just a big fat lie because I know that I am not. Either way it's had the same result. A few half hearted attempts in a sketch book that I bought from a discount shop and a few disappointing results.

So today in my lunch break I took myself to Deans Art in Sydney Rd, Brunswick and bought myself a nice little hard cover journal, a little bigger than A5 size and some water soluble pastels.

After virtually inhaling my lunch, I decided to give them a go right there and then, sitting at my desk, in my office, WITH THE DOOR OPEN! How brave am I hey?

Having never used water soluble crayons before I can't comment on how well they worked as I have no idea whether the ones I bought were good quality. I assume not, as they were the cheapest on the shelf. What I can tell you is this. Who cares where you are, or what you have or don't have when you get the urge to create. I used water out of the water fountain in a plastic cup, and my "brush" was made out of a piece of rolled up tissue, and it was fun, fun fun!

I wasn't even embarrassed when my boss came in and commented on how I spend my lunch break. Not that it was negative mind you, but now I know that his wife enjoyed painting pre-children and maybe, when he goes home today and tells her about what his weirdo secretary was doing at lunch, it may inspire her to do the same.

This is just what I aimed for this year. To live life to it's fullest, and fill all the little cracks with something enjoyable, and meaningful. Even if it is just to doodle.

Don't waste a single second of your life on something that's not worth doing. You never know if that second will be your last.

Springbrook National Park

Yesterday I visited Springbrook National Park in South East Queensland and was amazed at what a wonderful place it is. I was so pleased to see that there had been so much effort made to maintain the forest and ecosystem.

It inspired me to find out more about the area and to inquire when I get home (I am from Melbourne) about how I may help to preserve such amazing areas where I live.

I was blown away to realise that only 0.3 percent of Australia’s rainforests still exist!

While searching the internet I found a UK tourist site that promotes visits to the Natural Bridge and was saddened at the picture that they are using to promote it. It shows a couple in the water just outside the bridge.

This area is protected and entry into the water and deviation from the designated paths are prohibited. It really does promote incorrect use of the area, and I can easily understand why visitors would disregard the warning signs if they had an expectation of being able to enter the very enticing waters there.

See below link:
http://www.partner.viator.com/en/2672/tours/Brisbane/Springbrook-National-Park-Discovery-Full-Day-Bushwalk-including-Glow-Worm-Tour/d363-3311RAIN

I am sure as their business is based on showing tourists such wonderful areas they would also like to preserve its natural beauty for as long as possible so that all can enjoy.

So I took my first steps to becoming an active citizen, much to the amusement of my partner. I wrote an email to the Department of Environment and Resource Management QLD (DERM) advising that I would be sending an email to the company requesting they replace the picture with a more appropriate one, and asking DERM to do the same.

Not really expecting to be taken seriously (I imagine people who do this have grey straggly hair and smell a little funky), I was chuffed to come home this afternoon to two emails advising me that one of the departments directors would contact the organisation.

What a thrill!

It goes to show, that even the smallest effort goes a long way to preserve this beautiful earth we have been graced with.