So for anyone that couldn't make it, and also to provide some links for those that did, here are my 5 top tips from the International Women's Day Oxfam Get Together evening that we had at my place on Friday 8th March. The 5 tips were from my year of 'Finding Richness in Less'.
1. How to make your own cards
http://findingrichnessinless.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/origins-of-motherhood.html
2. How to make your own gift bags
http://howaboutorange.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/how-to-make-gift-bags-from-newspaper.html
3. Join Streetbank
http://www.streetbank.com/ a website which shows you the skills or things your neighbours are
willing to share, loan or give away. You’ll be able to see everything in
your square mile that your neighbours are offering. You’ll be helping
to build the community, save money and help the environment all in one.
4. Share ideas - plagerism is the highest form of flattery, and why reinvent the wheel when someone else has already done the hard work? It's brilliant to share ideas, so get chatting, blogging, posting, whatever takes your fancy, but share your ideas, skills, mistakes and enjoy being creative
5. Don't buy herbs - create a herb network. Find out what herbs your neighbours grow, and offer to share cuttings from yours, in exchange for cuttings from theirs, when you need them as ingredients for recipes. And if you live close to me, keep an eye on our front yard...it's soon going to all be herbs, and you're welcome to come and help yourself.
And for anyone who took away some Herman German Friendship Cake starter, here are some ideas of recipes: http://www.hermanthegermanfriendshipcake.com/herman-recipe-ideas/
Thanks to everyone who gave money for Oxfam and donated items for me to sell on eBay (all proceeds going to Oxfam to make a difference to lives around the world. I'll update on funds raised when the items have been sold. And if you fancy doing something next year, check out: (I'm wondering about doing something with our local girls next year....plenty of time to germinate ideas.)
UPDATE: We're almost up to £200...just waiting for a couple of items to sell.
Here's a quick and easy card idea for Mother's Day, although I'm equally wondering about doing it for mums when their eldest becomes a teenager or reaches 10, as a congratulations on getting them so far, type thing.
One of my favourites at the moment, and a way to recycle old maps, car atlases etc.
The map section used on each of these is where my Mum and mother-in-law gave birth to their firstborn (lets hope they don't read this blog post before turning up here for lunch later today ;-)
So I've decided to carry on blogging, as I've kind of got into the habit of it (if not rather sporadically recently), and find it a really useful tool in seeing where my journey is taking me. (Some others appear to enjoy reading it too...mad fools ;-)
So with a slight rejig to the title, and a change of background image (I embrace change!), I carry on typing.
So much has been happening recently, and I think I'll keep blogging about:
- the local community and germinating plans
- the latest attempts at craft that I inflict on everyone for their gifts
- and probably anything else random that escapes my head.
So on the community front, I'm currently starting with four things for the lovely 'Wimbledon Park Patch' (having just typed 'four' I already know there's more than that...biting off too much?):
Oxfam Get Together to celebrate International Women's Day on 8th March - I'm inviting friends and neighbours round for an evening to raise money and give them five tips from my year of 'finding richness in less'...should be fun!
Easter Egg Hunt & Scavenger Hunt on 30th March in the local park - the local community wardens, police and fire service are coming along. And I'm hoping to get lots of kids having fun and eating chocolate (fingers crossed for a donation from Waitrose), and get everyone to answer some questions about what they'd like to see in the park in months and years to come, to get some ideas started on our great local community space (with local public funds decreasing, if we don't take ownership of such spaces, who knows what will be left...just this year they've decreased money for planting, maintenance of the grounds and the children's park facilities (if play equipment gets dangerous it's now unlikely to be repaired or replaced, but more likely to be removed :-(
Streetbank promotion - a community online space that lets you see all the things your neighbours are happy for you to borrow, things they're giving away & skills they're willing to share with you. It's like a giant shared attic and garden shed for you and anyone living within a mile of your home. I've already trialed a bokashi from someone, and have someone designing a logo for the Wimbledon Park Patch...all for free!
Sharing for the new garden waste collection scheme in the city - the council are introducing new garden waste bins that you can pay to have and are collected every fortnight. We'd need to drive to the tip whenever we do large back yard foliage clearance, as we'd never fill a bin more than three times a year...however, the idea is to have it on our front yard, we're sharing it with neighbours so that we can all use it, but split the cost.
Community herb garden - the front yard is about to be transformed into a community herb garden (anyone's welcome to stop and take cuttings for their recipes). The main plant in the space currently is about to go to Southsea Greenhouse for rehousing at the Pyramids or a care home in Fratton, and lots of people are collecting herb seedlings for me (even the local community wardens). Hopefully the whole thing is going to be done for free, and with everyone pitching in, it feels like a great start to something that is meant to be about 'everyone'.
And finally I'm starting work on the summer community picnic in the park and a facebook group to start connecting those who are online.
Not bad for the first 9 weeks of the year!
And as to crafting...perhaps some seperate posts on that to come, but I've had another go at marmalade (not my biggest success, but edible), and lots of homemade gifts including a great coriander spice rub for meat, knitted animals and my latest joy, puppet theatres made from old sheets and scraps of fabric, which you hang between door frames. Every child's home should have one...so I'll definitely do a detailed post on that, as it's amazingly simple!
This is the first time I've logged onto the blog since my last post on Christmas Eve, and so much has happened since then. Christmas had it's ups and downs this year, and ended on a very sad note on New Year's Eve with the death of my Grandma. Just less than 6 months since my Grandpa died, so a really tough start for 2013. And somehow we've made it to February already, and I really felt I must get back and post something about the other big changes in my life.
The day my Grandpa died, was the day that I first started thinking about leaving my job to focus more time on my local community, and the day my Grandma died, was the day that I officially left the council...funny how these kind of things sometimes happen.
So far 2013 has been about finding a new rhythm.
The kids have changed to four mornings at nursery and we are having fun-filled afternoons with plans - to ensure we do stuff. We're hanging out with their friends more, got a year's membership to the aquarium (just a 15 mins walk away!), playing in the park and on the beach, visiting the library and grandparents, and baking cakes and painting. A really precious time as the first day at school looms this September for my eldest.
I'm also self-employed and currently doing a day a week for the CRED Foundation and taking on responsibility for all their finances. I love what the charity stands and strives for, and it's great to have flexibility and more freedom in when and how I work (although I miss my collegues at the Council and the heating, although am relishing the ICT freedoms ;-)
Then there's obviously the joys of life, running a house and a family and attempting to find some time to run. Along with making time to focus on encouraging community in the local patch. No giant leaps there, just little steps (which is how I think these things normally pan out). So far the little steps have entailed:
- gritting the pavement on our street before the snow hit - thanks Council for the free grit bins you leave dotted round the city for us to use on pavements...however, it appeared to not make a blind bit of difference...grrrr! Had good conversations with neighbours whilst doing it, so not a totally wasted effort
- chatted with some gardeners in our park about why the kids hide and seek bushes had all been chopped down, and have the name of someone at the council to contact to see how we can influence what goes on in our park, going forward
- am planning an evening for local neighbours linked with International Women's Day (8th March)
- am starting to explore logistics of a community lunch in the park for early summer
- getting along to the council's budget consultation meetings
- drawing up plans for the front yard/community herb garden
- and actually found some time to attend some Governor training sessions to help with one of the local schools/nursery/children's centre, where I'm a Governor.
So when I write it down...not bad going considering ;-)
Now the dilemma is whether to carry on this blog. I've written less in the second half of the year, and it was a blog for 2012, so part of my feels like signing off.
The other part of me has quite enjoyed writing something down and looking back over the year's journey, so would like to carry something on....but what? A new blog? Called what? Focused on what?
So for anyone that's reading this, feel free to let me know any thoughts/views if you have them. I'm throwing it out there, and perhaps this will be my last word...
The build up to Christmas seems to have lasted a very long time this year, and it's been wonderful. 4 years old seems to be the perfect age for anticipation, excitement and a deeper level of understanding than at 3.
One of the things we did this year was a Christmas party for the kids
friends. We had nine kids between 4 & 0, and had lots of fun with
nativity stickers, decorating Christmas star biscuits, pin the tail on
the camel and a nativity story with decorated toilet rolls ;-) followed
by lunch.
We're off to the Cathedral shortly for their crib service, and then having friends round to watch Mary Poppins before bedtime.
We've also had lots of fun making things, from recycling an old desk, to
making reindeer hot chocolate with winter challenges attached, knitted
bracelets, glittery fudge, knitted mini stockings and beetroot chocolate
brownies.
And we've even recycled the Christmas cake decorations from my childhood, on our homemade cake this year.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a fantastic 2013!
For those that made it to Cow Day 5 today, here are the answers to the quiz:
How many stomachs has a cow got?
4
How long does the average cow spend eating each day?
6 hours
Old cows in India sometimes have their own nursing homes.
True
How soon can a newborn calf walk on it's own?
1 hour
How many days does it take for milk to get from a cow to the shop?
2 days
A cow can produce 10,500 pints of milk a year. How many cows could the houses from here (44 Duncan Road) to Albert Road need?
2 cows (1 cow can supply about 22 families)
So what is Cow Day?
Five years ago a friend was trying to build a more wholesome less-consumerist component into the kids festive frenzy, and Cow Day was born. So for one day each December they have an open house and try and raise enough money to buy some animals for families in the two-thirds 'majority' world who need it. People bring cakes to sell in the cafe, Waitrose provides veg for a great soup lunch, people bring games, come in fancy dress, get involved in a promises raffle and much more.
Last year's 'Cow Day 4' involved 23 households/65 people and raised an impressive £375 that equated to 15 goats for families who needed them (all the cows
were sold out!), purchased from the Oxfam present catalogue.
So this post has been a long time in development, but at last I've gotten around to putting something down about my plans for 2013.
This year has been fascinating in many ways, and back in July I felt really challenged to make some monumental changes to my work pattern. Throughout the year I've been trying to put more trust in God and rely less on money and other things, and I'm not that surprised that I've been led to the point of giving up a regular salary, but that didn't mean the decision came that easily.
In 2008 we spent a lot of time questioning where we should live, and very clearly we came to the decision of Southsea (sorry Highlands & Bristol ;-), and that started us on a year and a half journey to the house that we now own and live in. I really felt that we ended up in this house for a reason, and ever since we moved to the area I've felt challenged to explore building more community, having lots of ideas, but little time to get on and try them. I've lived in much more deprived areas, and somehow community seems easier to come by, but the more well off areas need it just as much. We were born to be in community, and careers and mortgages often don't help us find time to connect with those around us.
Anyhow, back in July I decided that I needed to make more time available in my life to do some of the ideas that I'd been thinking of, and the only thing that was movable was the job. The reality is that I still need to earn money, and to free up time to do some of the things, I still need some child-free time. But we took the leap of faith that somehow God would help on that front, and I decided to hand in my notice. About 2 weeks after deciding that, I got offered a very flexible job with a charity that I already do some work for, and as ever, God pulled it out of the bag!
So the 3rd December is my final day working for the Council, and I'll then be embarking on a range of things in 2013 in the Wimbledon Park Patch area. I think we need to become more connected as locational communities and there is already lots of connecting going on, but still plenty more possible! I'm going to start with little things, but at least start, rather than just dream.
Things I'm going to explore are:
- connecting into the old people's home on our street (a hidden community with so much richness...how do we link them more into our community, what can we offer them, and what can they offer us?)
- connect with new uni students when they arrive in Sept (have seen an idea where you put on a free curry for them, and introduce them to neighbours)
- develop the herb network idea further (am planning on turning our whole front yard into a herb garden (not just the gate posts) so anyone can pop by and take a picking for their cooking, and hoping to get others involved...we have one neighbour who grows amazing coriander each summer!)
- spend some time just walking around our streets more, chatting with people, connecting, seeing where doors open
- invite our elderly neighbours in for a cuppa
- organise a 'Big Lunch' event in the park this summer.
So nothing ground breaking or earth shattering, but a first step. Encouragingly I've been talking with several local people over the past few months about it, and there is a genuine interest amongst everyone to get involved and do more.
I believe we were made to live in community with God and each other, and that we need to be more creative in how we rely on God and each other, rather than just looking to money or the public sector to keep things going. This time of austerity is a time of opportunity, and people seem really open to ideas of doing things a bit differently. I feel that God is somehow involved in the timing of this, and we'll have to see what happens next.
Life is never dull with God!!
5. Don't buy herbs - create a herb network. Find out what herbs your neighbours grow, and offer to share cuttings from yours, in exchange for cuttings from theirs, when you need them as ingredients for recipes. And if you live close to me, keep an eye on our front yard...it's soon going to all be herbs, and you're welcome to come and help yourself. 
