Making More Of Less

Back in February, I reviewed Patrick Grant's book Less. I really enjoyed the library copy - so bought my own [2nd hand, naturally] His book ends
"Having less but better would be a path to a healthier, more equal society, a source of hope for a better future for the many people of all ages living in what we call our post-industrial communities. Living with fewer , better things is an act of goodness and kindness to people and the planet, and it would make us all happier."

I was so excited to discover he was coming to Norwich to deliver the annual Patricia Clabburn Memorial Lecture and booked a ticket immediately. The event was on Saturday, I took my book... Look at it now! [he has his own Sharpie for signing, a bit like the President] He began by asking who has read the book [surprisingly few of us, I thought] and said there were some on sale in the Foyer*. The talk was, not unexpectedly, a rehash of the ideas in the book, with a few fresh anecdotes thrown in. 
He was urbane, and amusing, and the hour went very fast - then there was a Q&A session - but only time for three questions. I am sorry, I cannot remember the first was "if we buy clothes in charity shops, are we contributing to the Fast Fashion problem?" he said that Charities need our support, and if we are delaying the stuff going to landfill that has to be good. The second was "what about the environmental impact of polyester and synthetic fabrics, you haven't really mentioned that" he replied that he'd run out of time [true] but yes, we should be much more concerned about the fabrics used in our clothing. 30% of the microplastics in the ocean come from clothes**. The third was "I ran a sewing club in my village, because the girls had asked for one - but then they said 'why bother to make clothes, when it takes ages, and you can buy a garment cheaper in Primark and wear it the next day' - so how do we convince our children and grandchildren that fast fashion is a bad idea?" Patrick replied that it was difficult, we had to hope that buying ff will become uncool. He pointed out that vegetarians and vegans were niche groups until quite recently, but now it is more common and more acceptable. Hopefully attitudes to fast fashion will start to change among the younger generation... [Yes, that question was mine, I was really pleased to get his answer] Maybe we older people can make an impact if we try
When we arrived, the woman at the door said 'Patrick is over there and can sign books if you buy one' So I took mine out of my bag [nb mine is hardback, today's were the newer paperback version] After he'd signed I looked behind me, there was nobody else waiting, so I asked for a selfie. A steward stepped forward and offered to take it. It took her quite a few attempts

I am not sure about his expression here. I can't decide if he is thinking "oh dear another mad woman" or "she is as short as Esme" or [hopefully] "I hope this attempt at a photo works"

It was a good afternoon, the women on either side of me were extremely pleasant to chat with, and it was certainly worth the £10 ticket. 

* He also asked who the favourite was to win GBSB - the popular vote was Kit 

** Informative article about microplastics and school uniforms in Saturday's Guardian here

Throwaway Comments

It is fifteen years since the start of this annual campaign, but I think I only really picked it up in 2019. Aiming to be 'part of the solution to plastic pollution'
I know that lots of you are already working hard at this - Taking your own containers to the local chinese takeaway, buying loose fruit and veg, having milk delivered in glass bottles, wearing pee-pants instead of plastic-based sanpro, using waxwraps not clingfilm, taking reusable cups to Costa ...
the list of good alternatives is really long - but we still have a long way to go. I hadn't realised the new kitchen would affect my thinking about recycling, but it has.

Under the sink I now have two IKEA 'hallbar' bins alongside my yellow compost bin [i'm still awaiting the Council to sort out a food waste collection] These are labelled general and recycling. I have found myself being much more careful about putting packaging in the correct bin lately.

Many people think these triangle labels on plasdtic automatically mean you can put it in domestic recycling. You can't! If you can see the number, you are usually safe with 1-5, possibly not 6 & 7. But honestly, how often do you squint at the clear plastic as you prepare a meal, and can see the triangle, but not the number? So you recycle and hope [aka wishcycling]
So well done to the OPRL company [On Pack Recycling Labels] who have been working incredibly hard to make it easier for us, to recognise easily what we can and cannot recycle, with labels like this

This independent company is getting lots of big brands on board

And it seems that their efforts are paying off. Their latest report "What consumers want" involved consumer insights taken from a study in spring 2025 involving over 5000 UK consumers. They covered six areas

I find their conclusions encouraging - I do check packs for guidance on recycling, and prefer simpler instructions. I think labelling is improving - but I am aware of friends and social media spreading misinformation, usually through ignorance.
Now my bins are adjacent, it is much easier to put things in the correct one. I am not sure if there are any massive changes I can make this July, I shall just keep plodding away. Recycling, but more mindfully [and hopefully in a better way] Looking out for the informative OPRL swirls, in preference to the old three arrow triangle. 
I have to come clean here - the company conducting the Consumer Insights Study for OPRL is a small one in Manchester, called Tangible, and my Steph is now the boss. I am incredibly proud of her, and her company, for this research. These small changes in labelling really are having a big impact on the amount of thoughtful recycling. And that makes for a better world for us to live, and our grandchildren to grow up in.

Of Viagra, Heartbreak And Current Affairs

Out there in the Gulf Of Mexico* there are many turtles- Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles to be precise. These little creatures were first identified by a guy called Richard Kemp in Florida and sent off to Harvard to be properly classified. 
Nobody is sure about the Ridley bit of the name - before that these poor things were known as "the bastard turtles". From 1946-1986 there was a huge decline in their numbers. Then their breeding ground was discovered, a beach along the Mexico Coastline . Sadly the locals were stealing the eggs in vast numbers. People paid well for them - because "A turtle egg with a shot of tequila" was believe to combat impotence in Mexican males. In a brilliant co-operative project, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Service got together with local conservationists to collect eggs and set up a new breeding ground along the Padre Island Seashore.

This began in 1986, and when Viagra came along, a social awareness advert was produced in Mexico suggesting that the little blue pill was a better alternative than the eggs. The strapline was "My man does not need turtle eggs" It was surprisingly successful! Numbers of the breed really improved. But it remains a critically endangered species, and TPWS continue their work. The video below lasts 7 minutes but is really informative [and full of cute baby turtles]

But unfortunately, global warming has affected the temperature of the waters, and some turtles are getting a little bit lost, confused by warmer currents. In November 2021, after Storm Arwen, one was washed up on a beach in Flintshire. It was taken to Anglesey Sea Zoo, nicknamed Tally, and after months of intensive care, was nursed back to health, then flown home to the US in September 2023.  A few months later, another turtle was washed up, nicknamed Rhossi. ASZ started working with the Americans in their Turtle Conservation Programme.

All good stuff - for the Kemp's Ridley, Bastard, or 'Heartbreak Turtle' as it has been variously named. Apparently sailors witnessed the creatures having 'turned turtle' [flipped on their backs] and dying. The sailors maintained the turtles' hearts were broken, hence the nickname.

But here's the latest heartbreak - Rhossi was due to be flown home in March, but is stuck in Anglesey. By order of Donald Trump. On his first day in office, that man signed an executive order requiring a freeze on all foreign development assistance. Which meant the US Fish and Wildlife Service stopped funding various projects, including the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund. In February, 400 USFWS workers lost their jobs as part of Trump's cutbacks. So there is currently no way of flying Rhossi home to the Gulf of Mexico. Frankie Hobro, director of ASZ continues to look after him.
Martha Williams, former director of USFWS said the impact on conservation projects was "heartbreaking". "I didn't expect this administration to necessarily be friendly towards conservation. I have been surprised at the speed and the degree to which they have undermined decades of goodwill and work in the conservation sphere…International work involved so little money, you know in the big scheme of things, small grants with enormous impact - enormous impact to communities." Williams described the cuts to promised funding for projects such as marine turtle conservation as "cruel". Ms Williams said the message was "don't give up. Speak out - tell the stories, explain why this work is so important, and that it does impact people in a positive way,"

So here I am, speaking out, telling the story, trying to make a positive impact. These are precious, beautiful creatures. They are part of God's Creation, and as a Christian, I believe I am called to be a good steward of the earth.
God bless the turtles, Frankie and co at ASZ, and what remains of the conservation services in the USA. There is a link here if you want to find out how you can help ASZ with their sea turtle recovery programme.

* As far as I am concerned it is still the Gulf of Mexico

Fuss In Boots

 I am so very annoyed with Boots right now. Have you seen this?

Initially it sounded good "Boots are going to recycle blister packs" said Bob "and our two nearest stores are collection points" Then we looked into it further...

IT IS "GREENWASHING", PRETENDING TO BE ECO FRIENDLY FOR APPEARANCE SAKE.

They say it is simple, but it isn't really. You need to have the app and scan all your blister packs. Once they are approved, you take them to the store. 15 packs will earn you 150 bonus points - but you only get them if you spend £10 within three days of donation.

If I've understood it correctly, donating 20 packs will still only get you 150 points [I may be wrong there]

Bob and I, between us, have a lot of daily meds

We drop our used packets in a box in the bedroom drawer, and there are always at least 10 per week. This appears to be a normal figure among the many OAPs I know [who often discuss their pills at the Church Café! ]

BUT a high proportion of these friends do not have smart phones or use apps. [Or bother with loyalty cards] So they can't use the scheme. Younger friends who perhaps only have 1 tablet a day will take months  to accumulate 15 empty packs.

Furthermore the reward scheme mostly benefits Boots! They are in effect saying "you need to spend even more with us to get points off your subsequent spending" 

I'm not fussed about reward points, I just want to recycle for the benefit of the planet.  This is far too complicated for me to bother with. And I suspect Boots know this, The management of a scheme like this will be complicated and costly for them to implement. So a few months down the line, I suspect it will be cancelled, and they will tell us that they did offer this environmentally friendly option, but customers didn't take it up. 

Some Superdrug stores have drop off points. No incentives or loyalty points - just the opportunity to help the planet.

We are fortunate to have Tony at our church. He takes all our packs  to a charity [I have forgotten which] who then sell them on to TerraCycle. So we will continue to do that.

I think most people who want to recycle want the simple Superdrug system [or a mate like Tony] saying "Leave your packs here, and we will ensure they get properly recycled" without apps and offers. An easy way to have a positive impact.

Come on Boots, surely you can do better than this!

Now I'm wondering what will happen if I take my bag of empty packs into Dereham Boots and try and sneak them into the box without using the app...

Science Superheroes!

 

This event has been brilliant, On Monday Bob and I went with Rosie to Norwich School for "Amazing Animals" 

Nate from the Braintastic Team challenged us...Could you solve a puzzle quicker than a dolphin? Test your intelligence against the world’s most incredible animals in this fun show from Braintastic! Science. Packed with interactive games and activities, you’ll get the chance to complete real life animal intelligence challenges as you help to solve tricky logic puzzles. From parrots to primates, discover the amazing abilities of our animal cousins and learn more about the diversity of life on Earth.
That was fascinating - and 'the girl in the rainbow jumper' was the first one picked to solve a puzzle, and did it instantly. We were very proud of her.
On Wednesday I took Ro in very early, and we began with "Light Up The City" a workshop about electricity. This time, she was chosen to be the switch in the circuit. I cannot decide if it is her smiling face, glowing red hair, enthusiastic arm waving, or a very distinctive jumper - but she was often the one called upon to answer the questions. After that we had elevenses then spent hours visiting all the stands in the Forum

I loved

• the table of capes and masks provided for the photo-op. 
• Hands-on activities [bird masks, key rings, colouring, making paper aeroplanes and more] VR headsets
• Gifts- bags, pens, colouring books, badges
• Ticketed events, in venues across the City Centre - many where the child pays for the ticket- but the accompanying adult has free admission.
• Adults spending time enthusing about their specialisms in a language understandable to children
• Special shout out to UCL, who had come up from London to promote science/STEM subjects. "My parents work at UCL" said Ro, proudly, "and my sister is in the UCL Nursery"
• And RW, the German company currently constructing the Norfolk Offshore Windzone, running their pipeline across the county [and through the edge of our village.] We found Cornerstones on their detailed map - and noted its proximity to the work.
• Rosie absolutely loved her day, and learned a lot. "That's the best explanation of offshore wind turbines I have heard from a child this week" said one scientist.

This event happens every February half term, and families come from all over the county. It is so well planned, and offers something for everyone. Yesterday we left home at 9 and arrived back at 5!

I know things like this happen in London - but to have such a superb opportunity out here in "The Far East" every year, is utterly splendid. 

Do you have anything like this where you are?

Less!

I'd seen this book mentioned online last year. Liz read it and thought I'd like it. She thought [as I did] it would be a Marie Kondo/ minimalism approach. "Reduce to a capsule wardrobe and all will be hunky-dory." We were both very wrong.

Grant's subtitle is "Stop buying so much rubbish: how having fewer, better things can make us happier."

This guy is so much more than the genial judge on the GBSewingBee.

Having messed around in his final year at school[spending his time and money on the latest fashions] he spent a gap year working in a factory, then studied engineering at Uni, worked for some prestigious companies - then bought a tailoring business in Savile Row and applied himself to making better clothes. Now he runs a 'proper' clothes manufacturing company based in Blackburn. This book sums up his whole approach to life, and using autobiographical anecdotes, historical facts, statistics and scientific data, he shows us why he believes we need to rethink our attitude to possessions. 

I absolutely loved this book, and was in total agreement about so much of what he says. It has already made an impact on me

There are four sections - Want, Quality, Work, and Less.

He begins with history, when life revolved round the land and agriculture. Farmers grew crops and tended livestock which provided food and clothing. People lived with few possessions, but generally ate healthy food, and appreciated the nature around them. 

Then came the industrial revolution - people flocked to the cities and worked in factories and mills, making more goods, faster and cheaper than before. The owners got rich but the workers were low paid, on poor diets, living in cramped insanitary conditions. Then came the age of consumerism, when the men [yes, mostly men] at the top still made their wealth on the backs of the poor workers - and promoted the idea of 'wanting more', dissatisfaction with having less, or having old stuff. Stuff was made just to be sold at a profit. It didn't matter if the goods were shoddy, the food was cheap and not nutritious - what mattered was that people wanted to buy it and it could therefore be sold at a profit.

Grant argues that for centuries, there were great craftsmen out there- shoemakers in Northampton, silk weavers in Macclesfield, laceworkers in Stratford and ribbon makers in Coventry, and their wares were worn by men and women all over the country. But in the last 100 years so many of these skills have been lost, and companies closed. 

Cheap imports are brought in from the Far East and 3rd world. Why buy a well made dress which will last you for years when you can get one from Shein for the price of "a coffee and cake"  It will satisfy your desire for 'up to the minute fashion' but it will fall apart quickly as the fad passes, its fabric lasting forever,  refusing to rot down. Patrick points out the many many reasons for 'buy once, buy well' - buy local [better for the planet, fewer airmiles, improves the local economy] buy fairtrade [the workers are properly paid, working in a safe environment] you can buy natural materials [less plastics] buy something to love, to repair, to make it last [not consign to landfill]  He does acknowledge there is a cost to this. Many people are caught in the Vimes Boots trap, lack of immediate resources mean they are forced to buy cheaply, over and over and over again. 

This man definitely practises what he preaches - going to Blackburn, a "post industrial town". to set up "Community Clothing" - making clothes that are "good for people and good for the planet". At the start of the pandemic, his factory made quality scrubs for the NHS - most hospitals have very efficient laundry facilities. Then the government decided to invest heavily in disposable garments, a high proportion of which went straight from China to landfill. Check out the CC website for a fuller picture of how his company works and the ethos behind it [eco, ZeroWaste, recycling etc]. Liz has a CC shirt. It's gorgeous, well made, and will last her for years.

Grant is not looking to become a multimillionaire, he wants to provide jobs, a sense of self-worth, and pride in achievement for people in what was a very depressed area of high unemployment.  In the 'work' section he talks about the benefits of creating something. whether to provide income, or just for pleasure. He actually references Men's Sheds as a brilliant example of a movement which gives purpose,companionship, and proven benefits to mental health.

There plenty of anecdotes about Sewing Bee - but above all he speaks of his gratitude - that the show has helped revive 'home sewing' in the UK [and saved haberdashery shops from closure] and for the fact it has enabled him personally to find a wider platform to speak public about these issues so close to his heart. [He is coming to Norwich in September, I have my ticket already!]  The book ends

"Having less but better would be a path to a healthier, more equal society, a source of hope for a better future for the many people of all ages living in what we call our post-industrial communities. Living with fewer , better things is an act of goodness and kindness to people and the planet, and it would make us all happier."

I definitely rate this one *****do read it if you can!

SpongeBob Square Pants

I have never actually watched this programme, but I had four things I wanted to mention and tis title sums them up beautifully. I shall deal with them in reverse order [all those palindromes have made me think backwards.

pants, square, Bob, sponge

Firstly then, a pant-rant. What has happened to M&S briefs?

They are so flimsy now, and wear out really quickly. I hgave some pre-covid ones I bought in Dorset which are fine, but a newer 3-pack is already giving up on me. My thumb went through the other days as I pulled them up. I found this pic on line of "visible mending" Life is too short to waste time and thread on such things - and you rarely hear me say that! I shall have to pull up mny bug girl knickers and buy some more.

Then square-Xmas-cards. We received 32 cards this year, and 24 of them were square. That's 75%. Square cards are taking over. This cheerful handprint angel is from Grandson George [not sure why the greeting is in Spanish!] You may have had one of these school-fund-raiser cards from children you know.

Bob is now going to the gym Mondays and Pilates on Tuesday, which appears to be helping strengthen his back and improving his mobility. If your GP recommends the gym for back problems, you can get a discount at the Leisure Centre [Useful tip picked up at the Men's Shed] 

Here he is with all four children at Christmas, watching him  as he breaks open a lump of clay containing "dino relics". George was happy with the result an eye, a skeleton, and a mini dino - but I didn't think we got a lot of 'bang for our buck'. The tiny wooden hammer in the kit was hopeless - Grandad had to provide a heavier one!

And finally- sponges - last year I mentioned I had changed over to Wettex - biodegradable, allegedly the ultimate ecofriendly dishcloths. Here is my review a year on. I have been washing and reusing three in rotation all year. 

They have been excellent all rounders - dishwashing, general cleaning, windows etc. Only downside - coffee spills stain them badly. The pink one has just gone into holes and is being retired as a garden cloth for wiping flowerpots etc. And eventually will go to compost. 

You can see by the new yellow one, they do shrink a little in use. 

I rate these a ***** product

There you are pants, square, Bob, sponge - have a good Thursday!

One New Decoration, Two New Words

Each year I try and find one new decoration for my tree. This year I have been quite remiss, muttering that "I will stitch something about our Sapphire Anniversary" but I just haven't got round to it. Then on Wednesday, Voluntary Norfolk [who co-ordinate my hospital visiting] invited a group of us for morning coffee at the Station Bistro in Wymondham as a ThankYou for our support. Service excellent, cake portions huge, quirky railway carriage 'banquette' seating...it was great fun. It was here they had the fabric Xmas chains. We were all given a greetings card and a decoration

The words under VOLUNTARY NORFOLK are NCH&C volunteer service- Norfolk Community Health and Care Trust.

"It's a HoHoHat!" I declared. and my companions asked where that name came from. I said my granddaughter Jess called them that when she was two, and the name has stuck.

Other people starting contributing words that have been coined in their families. My two favourites which I may adopt are "WatcherMates" -  because whenever the bin men came, they'd call out Wotcha Mate! to one little boy [now in his teens] who then decided this was the correct name for any worker in a HiViz jacket [including road menders, staff at the Channel ferry, etc etc] "WatcherMate" has a lovely sense of safety and security and looking-out-for-you-ness

Our cake arrived, and somebody said "In our family, this is a napettie" pointing to the paper serviette*. We were all puzzled, was it some sort of confusion of napkin/serviette? No- it was because when Mum made an effort [eg at birthdays and Christmas] and they had napkins, she'd say Bon Appetit!

Aren't children wonderful?

*Im a little bit confused, I found this picture in various places on the internet, many describing the product as recyclable paper napkins. Surely they mean recycled? Surely you cannot wash and reuse paper napkins,can you?

I'm definitely adding Napettie and WatcherMate to my vocabulary. 

Can you add any inspired family names to my list of neologisms?

Seasonal And Sustainable

Yesterday I was in Wymondham and noticed some attractive "paper" chains - made of fabric strips. Each loop was had a velcro closure. So after Christmas they can be undone and stored flat in a box till next year.

I have fabric bunting which I made about 15 years ago, and that's waiting to be hung up this weekend.

Last week on Fakenham Market, they were selling reusable fabric crackers. A clever design, in two parts, also attached with veIcro.  They rip rather than snap when pulled apart. And they have poppers down the back so they too can be stored flat for next year. But costing £10 or more each, I wasn't sure I'd want a set. After all, you still have to add the contents each year. They are not cheap! And if you have fancy crackers like this, finding just 3 chocolate coins would be a bit of a let down! 

In 1987 I made 4 fabric stockings - and gradually added a few more over the years. I used to hang them down the staircase in Leicester. This year I decided they should have proper labels. On Saturday, I asked Rosie to look at our anniversary photo and count how many people are in our immediate family. Eleven, Grandma! And I actually have eleven stockings. So I made some durable felt tags, and now they are hanging in a row on the Futility Room Hooks...

We cannot all be together on the same day, but I am glad to have this reminder of those who are very special to me [all year, not just Christmas] 

In the 80s/90s we always opened our four stockings in the morning before church, then had all the "main" gifts after. The stockings always contained the same things - a book, a satsuma, a few chocolates and a new toothbrush. All organised by me. As the girls got older,they would add in tiny gifts too.  I'm not sure yet if these stockings will just be decorations this year, or whether I will fill four with small gifts for the children.

To have kept these stockings and maintain the tradition is very satisfying!

I am sure you have some precious items which come out every year too...

In other news - Pantone will announce the 2025 Colour of the Year later today. I shall blog about it tomorrow. I think it will be a green shade. 

Hand-Me-Gowns

Bob's father was such a generous Grandad. He always gave the girls such thoughtful gifts, often pjs and dressing gowns [as well as lovely books]. I kept the red 'Mickey Mouse' dressing gown from the 1980s. And when Rosie started having sleepovers at Cornerstones, it became a favourite garment. She wore it after her evening bath when she snuggled up for bedtime stories, and often again in the morning to eat Grandad's famous breakfast pancakes

But last week, we passed another family milestone - both girls came for a sleepover. So now Rosie has moved on to the larger red dressing gown [towelling, with a hood] and Jess wore the Mickey Mouse gown. To be honest, both garments currently have plenty of "growing room" and I shall have to hem the smaller one for Jess [its a bit of a trip hazard - note how she lifts the hem 'like a princess'] . But how they both loved donning them when they got out of the bath.

"You can be Mummy Liz, and I can be Auntie Steph!" announced Jess the next morning, as we had breakfast. Jess was so excited about her first proper Grandad Pancake Breakfast.

They slept beautifully in the big double bed in the back bedroom, without any fuss. 

If the Tudors could pass on clothes down the generations [and also Damien Lewis], I don't see why we shouldn't! 

 

Did You Get This One?

It was only half a minute long, and to be honest, it didn't click at first. I read the final words on screen... Decorate it, cook it, eat your pumpkin. HUBBUB.

What's all that about? What is Hubbub?

It turns out that Hubbub is an environmental charity, and this is their campaign to avoid the annual Halloween food waste. Apparently 14.5 million pumpkins go to waste every year. Three in five ** people will buy a pumpkin, and half of those fruits will be carved and then discarded. HUBBUB has a whole website dedicated to encouraging people to keep their pumpkins whole, decorating the outside - then after Halloween, to peel them and use the flesh for tasty  meals. Eat them, not waste them. 

This Hubbub campaign has apparently been running all through October, but I confess I only came across it on Tuesday.

Carving pumpkins and dressing up for Halloween has never been my thing. However I the past I've found outlets actually giving away the unsold fruits on November 1st, and made soups, pies, cakes and curries. 

I wholeheartedly approve of the intentions behind Hubbub's campaign, but I wonder how many people are aware of it? 

Do your family carve pumpkins? 

And what do you do with the flesh? 

[**I'm not sure I actually believe this statistic] 

I Hadn't Expected Two Fruit Trees!

We went off to Milton Keynes on Thursday, for the Christian Resources Exhibition. We've attended CREXsince it began in the 1980s, at various venues. Mostly at Sandown Racetrack. But this was our first trip since the Pandemic, and this was a new venue. We left at 7am and the journey was slow

We hadn't realised there would be so many roadworks, including the resurfacing of the A421 which was completely flooded recently. The venue was the Marshall Arena, between the MK Don's Stadium, and a large Asda! 

There were fewer exhibitors this year. Lots of insurance companies. One lady invited me to look at her products for church and personal insurance. "and enter the prize draw to win £500 for your church". Well that would be useful for our little chapel... Except as I filled in the form, I realised that only Church of England churches were eligible. I put down the name of our village parish church instead. But I thought it was a bit odd. The Salvation Army Insurance guy gave me a keyring with a built in spirit level. "thank you, this is useful" I said. And he gave me another keyring "for bleeding' radiators" he said, and grinned at me. 

I bought Advent Calendars for the grandchildren but nothing else. Unlike the early years, there were very few freebies, although Bob got a folding stojo cup and a small video camera. One Innovative church heating company were giving away tiny fruit trees explaining "we didn't want to give out plastic things". Bob got a pear, I had an apple. I hope they will survive.

This is Roary the Lion. He was from a group which trains people about safeguarding, and how to protect vulnerable children and adults. I had a lovely chat with the rep - who commented that she felt that Baptists already had an excellent safeguarding programme in place, which was good to hear. I took a card anyway, to pass on to Bex, who does a great job at chapel sorting out our DBS checks etc. 

Here's Bob at the Tools With A Mission 

TWAM. I've mentioned them before. Bob wanted to talk more about how The Shed can work with them in their tool refurbishing projects. 

They do so much across the world - I learned that forty five people every day are able to find a livelihood using tools and training fro  TWAM. I commented on the big photo of the woman with her sewing machine. TWAM is involved with many projects round the globe helping women get educated, and learn sewing skills. As well as hammers, screwdrivers and drills, TWAM can use donated sewing and knitting paraphernalia. 

We left the Arena and walked across the Asda car park, to the adjacent IKEA. Meatballs for lunch, and a good mooch round. No, I didn't buy tealights - but I did get mustard sauce, crackers, and cinnamon rolls. 

We got home 12 hours after we left. A lovely day together. 

Another Ten Days Decluttering

 👜 September 11-20 was a lot more haphazard. I began with a bag and then, whilst hunting for something in the Futility Room, found a couple of drawers which needed sorting. And my 55 'items' are a bit random. I think I have cheated - but I have achieved something...

ONE a cotton tote bag for the Charity Shop

TWO disposable paper face masks in the back of the drawer since 2020! 

THREE spare tupperware [put into CS bag]

FOUR leggings,tops from my running days [a decade ago] CS 🩳

FIVE dead plants in pots hidden behind my herb trough. To compost 🥀

SIX copies of Private Eye. Recycled

SEVEN plastic bottles from bathroom, each with a small amount in. Liquid soap, shower gel and shampoo all put together in one bottle as a general purpose handwash.  Empties recycled

EIGHT stained, stiff and unpleasant dishcloths from FR drawers [see** below] Binned

NINE loo roll tubes. I have plenty for planting and crafting. Recycled.

TEN mailing lists 'unsubscribed' - reducing the clutter in my in-box.

**In January I bought a pack of 10 'wettex' dishcloths. I have three currently in circulation. They get used, then dropped in the regular laundry and are still as strong and absorbent as Day 1. Bob did use one for some serious workshop related cleaning task, and threw it away afterwards [he didn't know it could be composted] but I think my pack will last me for some years yet. So I am not keeping the old fabric ones which I have no use for.

Tap Dancing

How much water does your household use each day? Do you ever think about it? We checked our consumption for August and found we were up by about 35%. Which sounds a lot until you factor in all our house guests, and one neighbour without bath/shower facilities and another with serious washing machine issues...so lots of extra people using our water supply. 

I am not getting stressed about it, it was all justified extra usage. 

However it appears that Cornerstones' August consumption was still less than 50% of the average 2 person household in the UK, so we are not doing too badly. There is a helpful site here which explains the amount used by household appliances, and efficient practices. 

Since I did the Green Living Project back in Dorset 4½ years ago, and got a shower timer, it is rare for my showers to take longer than 4 minutes. Bob and I shower alternate days. [When I was growing up, I had a weekly bath, so 7 showers a fortnight feels more than adequate!]

Other bathroom savings - I'm pretty obsessive about teeth cleaning, but not with a running tap. Turning the tap off during brushing saves 10 litres a time. And we don't flush if we use the loo in the aptly named "wee small hours" - we're fortunate in having an efficient dual flush. 

I run the washing machine every 5 days or so, on an eco programme, and the dishwasher usually every other day. And we ensure  that both machines have a full load. And the garden and greenhouse are watered from the water butt. I've used the hose just once this summer.

In the kitchen, I boil just enough water to fill the teapot - not a full kettle. I use the vegetable cooking water to make gravy. Vegetables are scrubbed in a bowl of water, not under a running tap. 

Water is a precious resource, we need to use it wisely [more tips here] The water companies may have let us down badly, failing to fix leaks promptly and discharging effluent into rivers... But that does not a solve each one of us from  our responsibilities to use water thoughtfully and carefully. 

In some parts of the world, women and children walk miles every day to carry water to their families. And many children die from drinking contaminated water. 

Never let me take the clean water from my tap for granted!