Living-Deliberately.com

I’ve seen these done several places…a few newspapers and People magazine…comparisons of various reusable bags available on the market. None of them included the BEST bag though so I’m writing my own about my favorite bag and why I think it’s better than the others. If a week’s groceries takes 10 bags (and that’s modest, because they usually double bag), that is 40-50 a month, or between 520 and 600 bags a year FOR ONE FAMILY. It’s nigh impossible to find enough recycling sources for that many bags and a sickening use of energy and waste production. So bring on the reusable bags!!!!

Chico Bags:

I saw these little cuties in the store the other night…seemed like a good option for throwing in my purse so I’d always have on hand, not unlike the Bummi Bag I used to carry for cloth diapers and wet spills when I had babies. They are cheap (5/each) and lightweight. The website says they make sure the China-production is fair labor/fair wage. They are nylon and can hold 20 lbs. Favorite selling point? Their small size when balled up. I think I’d use these in place of a baggie…but not a grocery bag.

Ecobags, offering The Green Bag: The Ecobags site offers several kinds of bags but for grocery bag purposes, I’ll focus on The Green Bag. It’s made from polypropylene and has a flat bottom. At just a couple of bucks a piece, they are cheap. I actually don’t trust the price….the adage, “you get what you pay for” comes to mind. I need durability!! This bag may be great for a jam… just getting a few things at the store and one’s available for an impulse buy at the check out stand; I may buy one knowing I’d use it at least a few more times. But given time to think about it, I think I’d rule this out as potential clutter, not being strong enough to go the distance.

Envirosax: Oooo!!! What a pretty site! And pretty bags too! My first reaction to these bags is that I wish the straps were longer! They’d make cute messenger bags (what I use for a side-carry purse)! They cost 8.50/bag and there are a few styles currently out of stock. I do wish it were a bit more obvious on the site what the product construction is, where it’s made, and how much they can carry. That bottom seam-design seems like it would strain. But these bags are going to speak to a certain kind of customer and more power to them!

Earth Totes:

Australian site offering organic cotton and hemp bags. Oy! Pretty cool….but alas, they are Australian and that intimidates me about ordering overseas. I would definitely look for their cool designs while in my health food store. And they DO have long enough handles to be side-carry. One thing….I think I’d use this as a typical tote and not as a grocery bag because they are too hippy-cool to gunk up weekly shopping.

The Use-Again Bag: So…full disclosure…my mom owns this venture. But I LOVE these bags and bein’ her kid doesn’t keep me from getting to talk about them! The are 100% American made. Come in great colors. Nylon…so they can be balled up, folded up, washed, dried, and they’ll still be great looking and lightweight. The handles are super strong (can hold up to 60lbs for those one-trippers out there!) and have hooks on the insides so they fit into the brackets that the store baggers use.

They are pretty, durable, compact, strong…they are the total package in reusable grocery bag design. And they aren’t expensive either…10/apiece and with durability that exceeds expectations. A supply of these bags will last and go the distance with families who buy a lot of groceries. We’ve used them for overnight travel totes, quick trips to the store (they fold small and fit in a purse easily), trips to bulk warehouses, and the get used every week for the regular grocery runs.

But whatever bag you use, make the switch away from plastic!! This is one way, we ALL can have an immediate impact on our environment…for the better!

Thanks to those who participated in my first contest! All “two” of you LOL! My hope is that many others of you mentally compared your progress so far to your goals considered. And, I’ll be doing this contest again the first week of May so if you want to participate, go ahead and blog your goals now so you can check in then!

As far as this contest goes, I really liked reading the progress of both women! You Go!!

Adventures in Simple Living & Daily Ethnography….you both have great blogs; thanks for sharing them! You had a 50/50 chance of winning girls!

Today we did the drawing…I made a slip with each name and Andrew pulled the winner out of the hat.

And the winner is……

ADVENTURES In Simple Living!!

The prize, as promised: A Free Use-Again Bag!!! (email me and we can do the color choice and shipping info: tia AT sixredheads DOT com)

So don’t forget: Contest repeats in early May. The best way to ACHIEVE goals is to write them down and check on the progress. Live Deliberately!

Wanna win a reusable grocery bag? The very strongest, deepest, groceriest-holding bag available? The only bag that we can find, so far, that is made completely in the USA (even the fabric)? Here’s how:

In a few days, I’m going to post an update on my goals for the year, as part of my Living Deliberately Strategy for reaching them. When I do, post a link in the comments to YOUR update on your own resolution progress so far this year, feelings about them, etc. Link back to this blog as well in the post.

Then, I’ll take the participants and pull a winner from the hat. Check out the prize here!! They come in a bunch of colors too…winner gets to pick.

BTW…the photo doesn’t show them, but the Use Again Bag has super-strong handles and even little loops inside so the bag can hook onto the bag-brackets in the store for easier bagging.

• today it occurred to me that we throw away too much compostable content around here…
• I could smell dirt when I stepped outside this morning…
• I had an urge to soak something….like beans….
• Sarah posted e.e cummings…
• I feel an itch to paint in tones of pale greens and yellows…

Maybe this is what the start of healing looks like?

The AC is finally on this summer. I am still amazed that we made it this long but it honestly wasn’t difficult until this week…we’ve had an unseasonably cool summer thus far. But this week it’s HUMID. The kind of sticky-wet thickness that drove our redheaded-selves from the Florida peninsula, away from the relentess scratching sound of the cicadas (which, I’ve learned, only annoy me when the air is thick and stagnant like this), is languidly surrounding our house in this dell, the very low spot that gave us deep shade and breeze while the rest of the neighborhood tended to bake on warmer days.

I’m not using my clothesline either right now. I’m so busy that just keeping my head above the rising tide of dirty socks, jeans, shorts, swimsuits, t-shirts, and undies is a tremendous effort and thankful am I for the new-to-me dryer that can do a load on one cycle, versus the 3 it took our old beast to accomplish. With daily rains, getting things on the clothesline and then dashing back out to save them is one thing I need to cross of my to-do list.

My power bill will show it. At least it’s cheaper than hiring help :-). My dear apologies to the carbon footprint.

This experiment was interesting; I’d certainly pick the book up for a read, along the lines of Big-Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America’s Independent Businesses. Someone wondered something (how tied are we to a global economy?), gave it a deliberate try (live without things made in China for one year), to the end of a discovery (buying locally reduces your eco-footprint) and a book, (A Year Without “Made in China”: One Family’s True Life Adventure in the Global Economy).

The kids and I often talk (usually in the car) about the rise of China; they are particularly interested in China’s large military, girls being adopted in America, declining population, and control of our manufacturing. It’s complex, that’s for sure. For now, our focus has not be to avoid things made in China, mostly because they seem so umbiquitous that it would feel like an overwhelming task. Instead, we are buying them second-hand as much as possible so that at least we are changing our mindset from “disposable consumer goods”. It’s a baby step I suppose. But we’ve striven to eat locally for years and this year have given added focus to supporting local business; buying locally made products can not be far behind, ideologically speaking.

Here and there I’ve also read things about toxins and poisons commonly used in China’s manufacturing, lately showing up in the Thomas The Train recall, which directly affected our family. As they surpass us in Carbon Emisssions, it is yet another reminder of the future of America and China connection. Anyone else have any China concerns and the future?

Adele: You’ve shown your e-face!!! Wow, what an honor! You brightened my afternoon…I can say in all honesty, “I didn’t expect to see you here!”

Kyra: the Crab and Squash casserole was delish. Even my non-squash eater ate it up. I’m not sure I got it all right, since we exchanged that on the fly in line, but whatever I did, was pretty good. Now to see if I can recreate it…I froze 4 quarts of squash this week specificaly for the purpose of that casserole concoction! It will be great during fast times when we need fish recipes!

Christian Faith: Good questions! My frustrations with Walmart have been on the blog quite a bit; a search turned up these offerings.  The transition to local stores will be hard or easy, depending on what kind of environment you have. I have several local stores to choose from and travel over 60 miles one way on my shopping day. I’ve also streamlined my household needs quite a bit. I don’t rely on them for food shopping at all; their grocery department sucks my soul the most and we combine a food co-op, a grocery store, and local produce stores  to meet our needs over and above our garden (which is only supplemental as of yet). I’ve eliminated almost all household cleaners (baking soda, vinegar, and Dr. Bonners), no longer need diapers (went back to cloth and he’s learninng the potty). I still go in for my contact lenses, one pharmaceutical item that is double and triple the cost in my local stores, and seasonal sporting stuff/toys that I can’t find second hand. Amost all of our clothing is second-hand from thrift stores, consignment, or handed down. These choices all stem from environmental as well as financial concerns and all have worked in combination to free me almost completely from the insane frustration that particular big-box store wreaks on my being! I wasn’t really saving money shopping there, which was it’s own revelation. One temptation they seem to offer is that I can “one stop shop”, which with four kids in tow and limited time, lures me in on occassion. What never fails though is that they will be out of enough on my list to require I shop at other stores that day too, just to get what I need, which is incredibly mind-vibrating. In essence, life is just too short to spend there.

oh and my apologies: that should have been CFL’s not CFC’s. Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs. Google them for lots of info on how they can save energy. One caveat: they contain mercury so if they break, care must be taken for the clean up. Regualar lightbulbs create more mercury in manufacturing and we used mercury filled thermometers for years…so to me, I’d rather take the energy savings, longer lasting bulb, and softer enviro impact. But everyone has to decide on that one for themselves.

Carol: Funny you should say that….it was exactly what was going through my mind! I could not beleive the woman was watching my baby drip poop and suggesting I actually walk him through two departments of the store! I could only imagine being a fellow customer seeing that! My word.  If I hadn’t of insisted on a can of disinfectant, they would have just returned that cart back into circulation unwashed…..

Queen: thanks for the flea help! I wonder if the lemon puree works like lemon essential oil would? I saw that as a recommendation on a website somewhere. We are putting together a plan of action that includes everybody’s suggestions: Dalissa marvelously is sending Frontline, we’ve added garlic to their food and vinegar to their water, we’ll treat the yard and bedding with Diotomacious Earth first, and if that doesn’t work, try Borax, and if that doesn’t work, the harder stuff.  That should at least keep it manageable until the winter; I’m so glad it freezes here!

Fun comments everyone! Sorry it took me so long to rely!

v. , past tense: we produced.

n.:  we have produce. 

Item # 1, first date in nearly two years; I should probably create a new category called, “make your own entertainment” for those on budgets and TMM’s! Ours was done on the cheap: two kids at camp, two kids watched by friends (will swap childcare in the future), some window shopping (salvage yard to inspire projects), some curriculum shopping (huge savings in energy, emotions, and cash than if we’d done a traditional curriculum convention),  and a fantastic lunch rather than dinner out. Tons of fun and financially free! What a concept!

would have loved to buy this door…beautiful.

Sandy, are you reading? This store is as big as Chamblain’s in Jax, but organized.  You would love it! All used books and CD’s. Glorious. 

For $100, we found some of the best materials we’ve bought in years. More info to come on my school blog.

LOVE The Tomato Head!

It was a good day out. That was Friday…the door we did get was a free salvage from the Habitat store. We bought paint from there; $8/gallon, which meant the table David built me on Saturday for a kitchen counter cost a total of $8 dollars! He built it and I painted it; one more coat and it’s ready for use. Saturday also meant all the kids were back in the nest, home from camp. I picked 10 quarts of berries, made 8 pints of jam, and 1 pie. We picked and froze 4 quarts of summer squash and 2 quarts of green beans from the first picking. The plans are drawn for our homesteading projects for the coming year. On the 90% Reduction Challenge, we are down 50% on our trash. I can’t wait to get my electricty and water bills to see how my efforts in those areas are paying off!

• love this, from Chewymom’s blog:
  “…if we permit [animals] to be treated with any degree of cruelty simply because it lowers the price per pound, we are, ourselves, less human in the bargain.”

It’s from a book called The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World, by John Robbins. Will be adding this to my list “to be read”.

• kids are away to camp. Looking forward lots of quality time with the littles and some concentrated work time.
• Anyone ever make their own Kvass? Our first batch tasted WONDERFUL but it also exploded like champagne and half of it ended up all over the kitchen and floor, almost putting David’s eye out at the same time. How do they package champagne and other fermented drinks in glass without them exploding? The recipes indicated the gas build up would stop after straining and chilling…this has not been the case with either the kvass nor the ginger ale, though the kvass was much more explosive than the ale! Still….it was cidery and rich and fabulous.

So I’m doing this water thing and power thing and gettin’ all navel-gazy and while hanging out in pathtofreedom’s archives (in between web projects and dog chasing while baby napped), I stumble upon THIS gem!!! It starts with “unshampoo“, something I’ve been thinking about but haven’t had much luck with…it is, after all, hard to find anything that really works with waist-length thick hair. Washing it is it’s own water crisis! Anyhooo…..onward to her home page and I discover…

The Riot for Austerity…How Low Can You Go????

A reduction in personal carbon emissions and outflow by 90%. I’m still shaking, trying to figure out if I’m really up for that! But I’m WAY inspired!  First of all, it’s the very first time I’ve ever “met” someone (and yes, she’ll be in the book LOL) who also has done a cloth-tp experiment.  She too has a larger-than-average family and I’m sure faces many of the same challenges as do I; that makes what she does seem more approachable. I’m marvelling yet again at the internet, which brings people who would otherwise not know anything about each other, into some kind of similar project like this. She’s a got a yahoogroup for the challenge (yes, I’m joining) and I wish her much, much traffic for her efforts! Bringing people in, baby step by baby step into changing our world and repairing some of the mistakes of the past, is a wonderful thing and I wish her all the best.

So now….what can I cut by 90%? This will require some thought. Anyone want to join me?

Below, in a post about my water reusage experiment, my friend Angela sent me a chart about this region’s water charges. That promted me to look more closely at my water and electricity bills and to do a little math….if Tia is doing math either the sky is falling or I’m preturbed to distraction and major disclaimer: my math is often wrong.

But if it’s not, we pay more than twice per unit of water than unit of electricity. Cutting back on power usage is pretty easy: you just use less of the things that plug in. Some of it is easier than others….for instance, the lightbulb switch is fairly simple, lights can be turned off during the day and appliances can be unplugged. Some would have a hard time not using their AC for as long as we do but others would have an easier time replacing a horridly-inefficient refridgerator than us.  And saving electricity (and gas) is hot in the news because of the carbon emissions/global warming stuff.

But water….I think we really take that for granted. And it strikes me today how much EASIER it is to both conserve electricity and renew the source. If coal isn’t good, there’s nuclear…and wind, the sun, and  even water. But if we run out of water???? I know deserts have experirenced this and some parts of the world with long periods of drought.  But I’m guessing our average American pretty much takes for granted that when they walk to the spigot and turn it, water (and clean water at that) will flow. Watering restrictions are often ignored or curiously arranged (neighborhoods can’t water but golf courses can?).

Well anway, of almost no matter to me right now is the “average american”….I’m staring my own wastefullness right in the face.  Our toilets guzzle huge amounts of water. That monster fridge? Not only being an energy hog it also drains about a gallon of water a day onto my floor.  I wash my dishes with running water, at full force, because I detest putting my hands into a dishpan and will procrastinate on the chore if it set up is like that. Running (hot) water with a sponge/soap dispenser, washing and rinsing at the same time, means the dishes get washed. But saving the water to reuse is pretty dang easy and saves 15 gallons a day. And, David can easily rig our drain to take the greywater out, into an enclosed barrel with a spigot. It would pay for itself quickly.

The numbers don’t seem too high…50 for water, 50 for power. Still, I’m looking at the bigger picture and not getting hung on philosophy. What can I do with my footprint to be responsible? And, our phone stuff, with cell and internet, plus the obnoxious conditions this company places on customers is over 200/month. I find that to be ridiciclous outflow of resources. I’d much rather be spending some of that “waste” on better milk for my kids or more seeds for the garden or on a date night with David.  I’d rather support a local farmer, growing what I can’t, than let all my dishwater go down the drain. I live in a place where most weeks, water falls from the sky for free. I think I’d be a fool not to learn to use it more wisely.

Tips on how to reuse and recycle stuff!

I don’t use a microwave at all, but did you know you can make your own microwave popcorn?!?! COOL!

I’ve linked to this site recently but you gotta see this  page!! Oh man!! I am seriously hungry for some cinnamon rolls now! And I love, love, love her cool stainless counter….but someone needs to make me some of these; I have neither the space nor the time. YUM though!

I actually know folks out here living a similar lifestyle to these folks…and while I think for now I’ll use the “off grid” tips to become less-energy dependant, it’s nice to see there are other netflix-internet users finding a way to both address energy concerns AND living in this tech-age.

In looking for some info on my home-made ginger ale  project, I found this site (and the answer to what to do about my build-up of gas in the bottle…release and chill!)

I’ve been considering our water usage because:

• water here costs more than electricity
• we’ve had drought conditions for most of May and June
• in learning more about Mexico, we’ve read about how chronic their water situation is, and it indeed gives one pause.

It’s true that a rain barrel, complete with a spigot at the bottom and an enclosed top is on my little list of “dream green purchases”. It’s also true that we go through a lot of water around here! On a normal week I do at least 12-15 loads of laundry, wash dishes with running water 3 x a day, and let the kids play in the hose at least once a week. I also water the garden every other day (not the grass) and we have 6 people showering a few times a week (not every day).

I decided to just run a little experiment in my kitchen. I got a 5 gallon bucket and set it next to the sink. I reduced my water pressure to just over a steady trickle (I usually blast it near full capacity).  I washed each dish with another dish underneath to catch the “grey water” and then drained that lower dish into the bucket. I turned the water off to suds/scrub each dish with my handheld soap/sponge combo.  My findings? Even with lots of water still doing down the drain, I make enough waste water in each session to nearly FILL my 5 gallon bucket. Each day’s bucket contributions water over 3/4 of the garden!!

Now, yes it’s cool that I’m using the water twice.  And I doubt there is much that could have shown me how much water could be reused without doing an experiment like this to wow my socks off. But I am stunned to imagine how much we could get from showers, the laundry, and rainwater.  I have tended to work more on my electric bills and phone bills, definitely the food bill…now I have a real way to work on my water bill!  I can’t even fathom how much water gets used, single time, on lawns and swimming pools.

Experiment number two: making my own ginger ale!! The recipe is in my Nourishing Tradtions book and it’s so easy I had to give it a try. Basically it’s grated fresh ginger, lime juice, salt, rapadura, whey and water. After just one day it has started to carbonate itself, even though the recipe indicates to strain it and mix with carbonated water when ready to drink.

Has anyone made their own sodas before? One thing I’m noticing is that the pressure is building; I periodically release it to keep the bottle from bursting. But the recipe did not indicate this would happen so I’m befuddled. Will be doing some research.

Snack ideas for this week: frozen bananas in a variety of ways….plain, dipped in chocolate and nuts, caramel and nuts, peanut butter and granola…the kids can’t wait!

They have a shop!! The link will soon be attached with an image in my sidebar, but here it is for now. Lots of fun stuff; I especially liked that the watering pot they have featured in the shop had a youtube video to show how to use it!! Great idea!

And speaking of videos, there are more! Here’s one showing how to transplant tomatoes; I like the standing potting table he’s working with! Interested in that homemade biodeisel project like I am? Here’s a news story that was done featuring Jules that shows the process.  I want to do more with raised beds and salad greens…lo and behold there’s a youtube of Jules cutting his own! For those of you who don’t garden, it just really struck me to day how valuable it is to be able to have this imagry; it can be difficult learning how to do it and every gardener you speak to will tell you something a little different. I never thought of just “giving my greens a haircut off the top” or about planting them as closely together as he has here. Incidentally, a good idea for a raised bed was found here; a used bed frame is excellent!

Near and dear to my heart is city chicken keeping and here’s their youtube on their own sweet hens.

These though, are my own birdies.

And, there’ s a blog! When I had more time for forums,  I visited theirs. These kinds of  supports can be so encouraging to those “duking it out” in a challenging environment.

Thanks again Dervaes family for all you do!

One day about 6 years ago, I was sitting at my computer in the family room, feeling more than a little down that we seemed trapped in Suburbia, unable to realize our dreams of a country lifestyle, or of being more self-sufficient in how we provided for our family. Books sat on the shelf of how to garden, how to raise small animals, how to live off the land…but our lives seemed to show no sign of changing anytime soon to allow for more than a few container plants here and there. I needed a vision, an example, to push my mind out of the box I had it in; the box that said sustainable living could only happen only in wide, open spaces. Somehow, link by followed link, I ended up at pathtofreedom.com and a hero was found, a deliberate-liver if there ever was one!

Jules Dervaes lives smack dab in the middle of a major city, in it’s inner city, next to a school, on a small city lot. Over the years, while he home schooled his children, they re landscaped their yard into more than just gardens; it’s an edible eden. They’ve added animals, kept records of their harvest, and had excess they’ve been able to sell to restaurants. One feature on the site included their grocery list and food tallies…this was the very first pantry plan that inspired my budgeting-self…it was not full of pre-packaged convenience foods bought on the cheap but rather comprised of very real foods, bought in bulk, meant as a supplement to what they already grew. I began to glimpse how organization and planning like that could harmonize to provide a bigger picture of sustainable living.

They had just begun back then another of what I call a “hero project”…the making of their own biodeisel fuel from used cooking oil for their suburban. They were looking at, and working on, ways to radically reduce their dependence on the power grid. Taking advantage of the temperate climate in which they lived, and not letting “but we live in a neighborhood” hedge in their minds, this family became a profound example to me of “blooming where one is planted”. Through their projects and progress, my mind began to realize what COULD be done, in ways that could possibly be mimicked in cities all over the globe to increase local, more sustainable living. The reasons it’s not becomes “we won’t do this” rather than “we can’t do this” because Jules and his family are proof that it CAN. The obstacles change and the strategy to overcome them morphs.

It was a little dream-come-true when I got the returning email that said yes, Jules would indeed agree to an interview!! This, with a rather ordinary housewife who can’t pay for it and who hasn’t managed to get it to “blog press” anywhere near the targeted date. But this spring I learned another lesson, one that I don’t doubt Jules himself has confronted time again: life happens and sometimes we rearrange our plans, which is not always to their detriment. In order to farm, small scale or large, one submits to unpredictable circumstances. Weather happens, disease…harvest comes in and our routine stops to accommodate it. It was only a little ironic, and mostly fitting, that my writing has had to wait while I mothered children, got the garden in, broke down a wall so we could build another, and started a new business. When one lives a seasonal life, somehow everything fits in place, in a rhythm, and not all at once.

And so here it is…my interview with Jules, one of my very favorite deliberate heroes:

Tia: I first found your website a few years ago; we were living in the suburbs
of North Florida, on a similarly sized lot and in a very similar climate
to yours, and I was instantly inspired by what could be done! When you
began, did you have any vision, any inkling of what it could develop into
and become? Where you setting out to create just a great place for you to
live, or did the idea that it could have such an impact for others occur
to you and effect affect the planning?

Jules:The creation of an urban homestead, Path to Freedom, was a result of my long-held beliefs in simple living and care for the environment. At the start, I did not imagine it would come to have such a worldwide impact. In 1990, during a period of severe drought in Southern California, I did away with my moisture-challenged lawn replacing it with wildflowers, drought-tolerant plants and, eventually, edible landscaping. Even though for many years I had been gardening, including homesteading in New Zealand in the 1970s and, later, on ten acres in Florida, I hardly relied on these plantings for my family’s “daily bread.”
In 2000, however, I took the radical action of becoming an urban pioneer, in angry reaction to the news that U.S. biotech firms were bent on introducing GMOs into the food system. I wanted to protect my family from this mad experiment and provide them with the real food we could grow
ourselves. In the midst of the urban wilderness of Los Angeles County, I began to turn my city lot into a homestead, fanatically planting every available space to the four corners of our small world.
In July 2001, my family started documenting our homestead’s progress and our journey toward self-sufficiency through an online journal, PathtoFreedom.com. After the first full year of gardening in 2001, we had raised 2,300 pounds. By 2003, we met our goal of 6,000 pounds (three tons) of produce harvested from one-tenth of an acre of garden area. By 2004 we were involved in an active outreach program, including tours of the homestead, workshops and eco-documentary film screenings, and more than 30,000 visitors to our website a month from over 100 countries.

Tia: I’ve linked to your site on my blog for the past year and told many others
about you along the way, usually using your work as an example of what
things can be done. So often the people I come into contact with are
discouraged, feeling trapped and powerless. If you had to pick 3 things
that you do that have had the farthest-reaching impact in your lives and
lifestyle, what would they be?

Jules: Paraphrasing Theodore Roosevelt, I encourage people to do what they can, where they are, with what they have—right now. Begin with small steps.
The most important step we have taken has been to grow some of our own food. During the summer, up to 75 percent of our vegetarian diet comes from our garden. Not only do we have the assurance of knowing where our food comes from and the satisfaction of having grown it ourselves, we enjoy produce that is unbeatably fresh and tasty.

Second, we tackled our energy usage on a variety of fronts. From simple steps such as installing CFLs, using only energy efficient/Energy Star appliances, and not using a clothes dryer, to more radical steps of forgoing electrical appliances altogether and installing solar panels, we
reduced our average daily usage from 10.6 kwh to 6.0 kwh and produce much of that energy through our solar panels.

Finally, we addressed the transportation energy problem by owning only one car for a family of four adults; cutting back on the number of trips made; and learning how to brew biodiesel in our garage from waste vegetable oil. Last year, we made just two emergency trips to the gas station to buy diesel.

Tia: I love that quote! We also use this idea with our financial goals and really
anything that we are convinced has merit but feel daunted by. Would you
say that living this way costs less money? I know it seems like it would,
like that might be obvious, but a consistent criticism of “green” living
is that it costs too much for the average middle-classer to do.

Jules: Living green does not necessarily mean spending a lot of money. Granted, you can “buy your way” green, but there are other ways. A basic principle of living lightly on the earth is to cut back — cut back on the amount and type of travel you do; cut back on the amount of energy you use to heat or cool your house; and cut back on the number of single-use items you buy. As you are able, you may want invest in green technology that may initially have a high outlay of money, solar panels for example, but that provides savings in the long term. Some costs of green living, such as eating organic food, can be offset by “doing it yourself.” One of the reasons I started growing my own food was that I wanted the benefits of eating organic vegetables and fruit, but I couldn’t afford to buy them in the grocery store.

A future step is to cut back further on our water usage. In addition to the water conservation steps we have already implemented, we plan to install a gray water filtering system and collect rain water off our metal roof.
Tia: That’s project that has my interest! Where I
live in TN the water costs more than the electricity and it is very
unreliable in it’s safety. The well water isn’t great either. In
choosing a place to live I can see how investigating the water supply
is an important detail to remember and that even in America, it’s can’t
always be taken for granted. Are you on city or well water currently? Do
you use a filtration system at all?

Jules: Path to Freedom is connected to the city of Pasadena’s water supply. About 40 percent comes from local groundwater supplies and about 60 percent is imported from the Colorado River and Northern California. We do not filter the drinking water but do pay close attention to the annual water quality reports published by the city.

Tia: What about the neighbors? And the city zoning laws? Have you ever
encountered battles or resistance to having city animals?

Jules: Our property is bordered on two sides by a school so we have residential neighbors on only one side. We have not had any issues with our neighbors over the animals. The animal enclosure is located on the school side. The enclosure is kept clean, and the animals do not make much noise—usually. The city of Pasadena zoning laws allow a limited number of farm animals to be kept as pets if they are housed at a minimum distance from a residence.

Tia: I think I like how that’s written! I think city chickens make better
pets than dogs and frequently tell people that they are quieter than
many “acceptable” pets too. You keep chickens, goats, and rabbits right?
Has the school shown interest in your project over the years? What a
neat thing for urban children to witness!

Jules: Our micro-farm includes two goats (Nigerian Dwarf and African Pygmy), three ducks (Khaki Campbells), and chickens (heritage breeds). The neighboring school children have visited on a number of occasions, as have other school groups. Besides seeing the animals, the children love operating the bicycle-powered grain mill.

Tia: I read that the Dervaes kids were home schooled; we also home school as do
a good portion of my readers. One of my favorite things about
homeschooling is that my children have a larger access to a wide variety
of people of all ages and backgrounds that formal schooling doesn’t
provide. For instance, when we shop at our natural foods co-op, they see
lots of different people who value healthy eating and a strong, local
community and know this isn’t just “Mom and Dad’s” thing. Now that the
Dervaes children are grown, what is your perspective on homeschooling in
hindsight? How has it better empowered you to participate in a project
such as Path To Freedom?

Jules: Starting homeschooling my oldest child back in the late 1970s when the concept was not widely accepted was difficult. Today people can be proud of it; back then the children were ashamed and could not be open about how they were schooled. The school authorities were not sympathetic, but because I had teaching credentials, I could placate the authorities.
Other people thought that what I was doing was strange. My children had to apologize for and felt strange for being homeschooled. As adults, they still struggle with feeling not accepted and outcasts. I wish I had been better prepared and had had help. I was doing it alone with no outside support or understanding.

Tia: You are one of the true pioneers who deserves my thanks! So THANK YOU
for doing what you did!

Jules: Thank you for expressing your appreciation. It is gratifying that homeschooling is more accepted now. An advantage of our homeschooling experience is that my children and I have learned to take on a project that at the beginning is not widely accepted or takes us into unfamiliar territory. The psychological barrier of fear of strange things is not as great because of our past experience. So tackling a project like Path to Freedom is not as overwhelming for us as it might have been.

Tia: This is one of my very favorite things about homeschooling and Living
Deliberately with my children. We are raising kids are much less fearful
than what we see in the past or around us; they are not afraid to go
against the grain and take on a challenge!

Jules: Another advantage for self-motivated people is that education as a “do-it-yourself” adventure is installed in the children early. They learn to run with things, unobstructed. However, some children are not as internally motivated and require more of an external educational structure. A disadvantage of “unschooling” is that it doesn’t cover the wide range of things that could be learned.

Tia: Timely subject as we unschoolers (really more like “tidal schoolers”)
evaluate yet again if we should start using more “canned” materials. Did
you ever find you needed to transition from unschooling to a more traditional
method in order to allow for whatever they were needing or wanting to pursue?

Jules: Because I didn’t have a background in music or foreign languages, I wasn’t able to teach my children those subjects. They could have benefited from tutors or curriculum in those areas. Overall, homeschooling has been empowering for my children, but I wish I had had a better start. My limitation of parent-as-teacher was that I had been trained primarily in book learning. I was deficient in crafts and “how-to” skills. For example, I didn’t learn mechanics for repairing my car until my late twenties. As any homeschooling parent knows, it is a struggle and a lot of work to keep up. I feel I’m better prepared now (my youngest is 23 years old). A second time around would be a nice, but unrealistic, option!

Tia: Global Warming has certainly been in the news a lot lately! With or
without the latest research, I think energy conservation just makes sense;
it seems obvious to me that resources can’t last forever and we harm our
environment, sometimes irreparable, with our culture’s wasteful habits. In
just a simple change like compact fluorescent bulbs though, I hear a lot
of complaining about their different (less bright) light. What do you say
to people who are interested in changing but struggle to adapt? (Not just
with lighting but anything energy efficient).

Jules: If we truly believe global warming is a crisis, it is our moral responsibility to accept our culpability and do something to change our “carbon footprint.” A little voluntary pain now may help stave off much greater suffering in the future over which we may not have any control.

Tia: My dream car is a biodiesel Suburban because of you guys! One thing that
really concerns me about Ethanol though is that it is still mono-cropping
corn, along with all the hazards that causes. I wondered why recycled oil
is not being paid more attention. What do you think of the discussion that
is going on regarding this topic?

Jules: I was prodded to investigate biodiesel because delivering organically grown produce to local restaurants in a gas-powered vehicle was just not logical. Now I obtain used vegetable oil from one of my catering clients. My son, Justin, brews biodiesel in a converted hot water heater in our garage from the waste vegetable oil. I view biodiesel as a “band-aid” technological fix. Our understanding of and practice of mobility need to be radically revised. Living locally, including obtaining food from local sources, will become increasingly necessary for our future.

Tia: Do you think a project like yours is attainable
for those still spending much of their time in the mainstream system?

Jules: Projects like Path to Freedom can be started while a family is still in mainstream society and certain aspects of “green living” can be undertaken. However, you will be limited by time restraints. In a whole life project such as Path to Freedom, you need total involvement, full immersion.
As the world situation worsens, people will need to commit fully to a different, non-mainstream way of life. One can start a project of change whatever the circumstances, but one cannot keep straddling two positions. To quote Theodore Roosevelt again, “Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure… than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”