The good news is that each and every one of us can be gentler to the earth and enjoy life more by simplifying. The bad news is that it's easy to forget the good news! But judging from the great response we got to our new "Simply Living" section, there are a lot of folks in the valley who are remembering to simplify their lives. 

Sue, Cliff and Ayla Booth-Daniels write: "We live in Colrain and have become quite adept at bartering within our neighborhood.  It started when Cliff began baking bread.  Yep, by hand. The old fashioned way.  It seems somehow this simple act of rising dough has increased our appreciation for the simple life ... When he began baking bread he always made an extra loaf.  We would give this loaf away to neighbors and friends and even co-workers.  We never knew who would get the loaf. We would just show up at someone's door, say "Hi" and pass the bread to them ... I think simple living not only sustains our resources but connects us to each other and reminds us that we don't have to go it alone.  We have become such an isolated society.  Part of our problem with sustainable living is that we are afraid of each other.  We don't feel comfortable approaching each other with ideas.  

Since the bread,  we have begun to barter for other farm products.  Our neighbors a half mile up the road, and I do mean up, raise free range laying hens.  We only buy local organic eggs. So it was great when we began getting our eggs from them ...  In exchange we bake them pies with local products ... We have bartered childcare for maple syrup and local organic produce from Shoestring farm.  I have bartered for almost all of the perennials I own ... We have also discovered that since we have gone as organic as possible we actually eat less and spend less.  I suspect the reason for this is because we are actually eating food that can sustain us.  We buy at Greenfields market and order bulk through Northeast Co-Operatives, splitting large orders with friends.  We still have our weak areas ... but we are conscious choice makers and think our purchases through before buying, always weighing the total cost before hand.  When I am having my weakest moments and reach for the Oreos, all I have to do is read the packaging, ingredients and source and I am quickly cured! 

It is easy to get sucked into this crazy buying-till-you-drop culture.  We have even managed to turn an ancient art (Feng Shui) into a buying extravaganza by convincing ourselves these items will better our lives, bring us happiness, vitality, wealth, love, etc. ... People are paying to have Feng Shui specialist come into their houses so that they can increase the effectiveness of their wealth areas!  Ugh!  I could help. Put a change basket in the corner and empty your pockets (into it) every night! 

I would like to mention two wonderful books that have transformed my life and raised my consciousness.  "Carrying Water as a Way of Life" by Linda Tatelbaum .  "When Linda and her husband headed "back to the land" in 1977 to build a solar house and raise their food in Maine, they found the simple life more complex than they ever imagined.  With ingenuity, grit, and flexibility, they balanced their idealistic values with the pragmatic demands of adult life."  ... The other book is "Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn.  Read this book!!!!!! I can't explain it, you have to read it." ... Thanks for  reminding me to connect and to reconnect. 

And EMMA STAMAS writes with two great suggestions. 

One is to "ask your kids to help reduce your energy use in the
home. Brainstorm all kinds of ideas with them and then tell them that next month when you get your energy bill, if the KWH amount goes down (compared to last year's same month) split the amount of money saved with all those in the family who helped cut energy use. Or celebrate together by doing something special - but not wasteful."

Emma continues: "I think that all who agree that change is possible and who want to make a change toward more sustainable living should pick something new to do each week (or month if its really a big change). We should share what we are doing with at least one person each week too and ask a friend to help remind us of our commitments so we don't forget.  Not in a proud or bragging way, but just saying something like this: "I am trying to change what I do instead of expecting the world to change. So this week I'm going to drink water all day except for one glass of juice in the morning so that I contribute a bit less to the wastefulness that I create in this world."

We like the idea of buddying-up to cut down. Valley Viewpoint would like to be your buddy. Share your life-simplifying commitments with us. E-mail us at info2005@valleyviewpoint.com and we'll post your idea on our website at www.valleyviewpoint.com. 

And I'll go first. To save money, reduce waste and save a few trees, we stopped using paper napkins in our household. It's cloth napkins (and sleeves) for us from here on in!  How are YOU making a difference? E-mail us at simply and we'll let others know.

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