Our planet

What is happening to the world? What exactly is going on? Are we going to learn anything from all this?
If we get rid of tree belts, then tsunamis, lava from volcanoes and landslips can power through lands without having their force challenged at all.
If we build nuclear power stations then we run the risk of natural disasters causing a global catastrophe. Even in this country, their "safety" can be compromised by a terrorist attack or a plane crash.

Watch and learn, leaders.
If we work against nature then we will be the the losers.
We are small and insignificant and although there is little doubt the planet will survive, we may not.

All we can do is look after our little bit of the planet, plant our bulbs, grow our own food and walk instead of getting in our cars, but we aren't the ones who look after the bigger picture. Wouldn't it be nice if those in power would do what we're doing on a small scale here in Wirksworth in our Transition Town movement, on a bigger one?

Good job the sun came out today and I could sit on my bench and drink in the sunshine. Sometimes it's hard to be a Polyanna.

Transition Towns don't have to be woolly and homespun!

We had a meeting of the Transition Town core group last night which was a proper workshop about running a meeting.

I was lulled into the usual feeling of cosy warmth and welcome when the flipcharts came out! It was done really well and I learned a lot, especially about the fact that just because we are a sustainability group, that doesn't mean we can be wishy washy.

But running effective meetings, with goals, structure and engagement doesn't mean we lose sight of the essence of Transition Town which is that we involve the whole group, play to people's strengths and allow people to say no.

This was an interesting one because volunteers can get swamped and end up walking away.

Another interesting aspect was that you have a Mood Watcher..who keeps an eye on the feel of the meeting and if people are beginning to be glazed over or left out, then the MW pipes up! I thought this was a lovely idea and I was so grateful for the moment when the MW pointed out last night that we were losing the thread. Oh for one of those in some of the meetings I go to!

It's also about priorities. At various points in a meeting, you re-evaluate the time you have left and adjust your priorities so's you're not trying to do too much.

And then the one that is glorious to hear..you MUST finish on time.

I remember as a junior reporter going to council meetings where they would spend two minutes passing a £3m scheme and two hours discussing what toner to put in the printer. They needed a Mood Watcher!

The forests are still mine then!

That's really good news! But what's better news is that in our own little British way, we are just as rebellious as the Egyptians when we believe in something and anyone who thinks they can get their commercial little mitts on our forests have been brilliantly scuppered!

Tiny shoots of recovery

Not the economy, but us. It's been a tough winter with house renovations, work pressures and husband falling off ladder but yesterday, I spotted some snowdrops and the first shoots of daffodils.

This is why the environment is so important.

We need to know the world is going to renew itself. I need to know that the earth will re-emerge, just as green and beautiful as it ever was. I've been watching our little community of birds re-emerging looking for the food I put out. I was even pleased to see the magpie, although I haven't seen the one with the broken wing who amazed me with its ability to hop around using props to get from one place to another. Maybe it hasn't survived the winter.

Ok, this is waffling now.

I've been watching Richard Bilton's programme "Who gets the best jobs?" and then one called "Young, jobless and living at home" ( this is on I Player cos getting an aerial sorted in this dip we live in seems to be a mammoth task). So, the answer for our offspring is to work for nothing for at least a year, being supported by rich Daddy. Went wrong there then.
Work has to be worthwhile, you have to feel good about yourself and the job you are doing so what is the point if our youngsters aren't valued enough to pay them a living wage. Are we going backwards?

Been slacking in my duties!

Oh help, I've been so absorbed in our house that I've ignored issues in the big wide world! I feel I'm only just able to worry about the rest of the planet again.

Let me start at the top: we have no telly as yet cos the aerial isn't up, but I've been watching Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's Big Fish Fight and I've just watched the last one. It's disgusting what we are doing to our fish stocks. I feel really incensed. We throw away tonnes of cod and other good fish because we use purse seine nets ( had to Google that one!) which just catch everything and then they're all dead by the time they throw them back because they aren't allowed to catch them because of fishing quotas. Why can't they just go out fishing less and keep the whole catch?
Also, we feed good fish to feed farmed salmon. He was saying why can't we eat the good fish in the first place instead of the ubiquitous cod.
And then there's fish and chip shops. Why can't they sell mackerel baps instead of it all being cod and haddock?
We are really going to have to act on this one..come on, folks. Sign up!

And then there's our tree in town. We heard the other night that the Town Council were planning to cut down the beautiful plane tree because the roots were coming up through the tarmac and there was a danger someone might trip over. We raced up to the Town Council meeting and asked them to think again. It's a nonsense that just because they have put tarmac down instead of paving slabs that could be taken up, sand put down and the roots accommodated, that we have to lose this beautiful tree. Thousands of urban trees are being taken down because of health and safety or lack of water because of too much tarmac. Trees make our streets special. They make them human. We suggested there should be a seat put round the tree so that people can sit under it. We hope they were listening.

You can see I've emerged from house building!

pink house-with spots

That's an interesting development! We have a pink house with spots on. It looks like something out of a fairy tale- it looks just so silly, it can't be real. Oh but it is.

It's all in a good cause however, dear reader. This is the insulation that is going to keep us toasty and warm and cheap! Tomorrow it will be meshed and then after that it will be rendered, so hopefully at the end of all that, its resemblance to the 'orrible 1960s' bungalow will be ended, over, caput, finished.

I had a masterclass in the underfloor heating system yesterday and I think I've got it. You leave the heating on all the time but as soon as the room reaches the temperature on the sensor, it cuts off, so throughout the year, you can probably leave it on because it won't use any electricity. That's the theory, I'll keep you updated as to whether that's the fact or not. We haven't had our first electricity bill yet. But the air source heat pump is very quiet and doesn't bother us at all and once we get this insulation finished, we should notice even more of a difference. I am getting very used to a constant temperature of 25 degrees and get a hell of a shock when I come outside!

And yes, thanks for asking, Peg Leg is improving. Shuffling around nicely now.

Life doesn't always go according to plan

Well, 2011 has arrived with a vengeance. We are in the house, we sort of camped before Christmas and that was OK. Then last Sunday, KP fell from a ladder and has been in hospital since with various broken bones that should eventually mend OK but not what we envisaged for the beginning of the year.

I am trying very hard to do my Polyanna act so..

He will recover
We are no longer in a one bedroomed place with a loo downstairs
It wasn't snowing ( shouldn't have mentioned that one..it is now)
It wasn't before Christmas

Ok, that's it, that's all I can think of on the positive front. Off to pick him up shortly and I suspect we are going to both need all our patience and fortitude to get through the next two months.

Just made a round of cuppas for the builders who've watched me through all this move, build and accident. They've been very sweet. Especially the day I couldn't even find a room to have a howl in!

So, 2011, you'd better do better than this. So far, I'm not impressed.

PS: the house is looking lovely and is very comfy and warm but so far I haven't been able to imagine it without builders.