So stoked am I! Joel and I, with our two friends Kevin and Jeff, are heading out tonight and going surfing!! Woohoo! I've been waiting for this day, well, since the last time we went surfing (in March.) We've booked a campsite at Long Beach Golf Course for Friday and Saturday night.
The weather is suppose to rain the whole time, but that's okay, because rain usually equals waves, and we're in wetsuits anyways. Besides, it was snowing and hailing last time! And the waves are only suppose to be 3-4 feet high, compared to March's waves being like 6-8 feet. That was crazy, and perhaps a little silly.
Maybe I'll be able to actually stand on the surf board this time.
Maybe. Maybe Not.
Ahhh! So excited!!
Friday, June 22, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Struggles in Life
So I'm struggling with a number of things lately. Mainly, how do I, as a young Christian woman growing up in an uncertain-climate-changing world live? I want to live more simply, pursue a higher education, enjoy my family, have a career that makes a difference -but without being a part of this all-consuming mind-numbing society!
The fact is that Joel & I cannot be in school right now without being on student loans (at $24 000 a year), but I don't want to spend the rest of my life paying them off. We want to buy land as soon as possible, and create a self-sustaining community, off the grid, where we can grow our own food, and raise our kids. We would love to have a number of families out there, so we can all combine skills, because it's all about synergy - the effect of the sum is greater than the individual parts.
I'm so sick of this rat race, of getting more and more, yet feeling emptier and emptier. And I am so scared of getting caught in it post graduation! On the other hand, I'm excited for my career, because getting into sustainable community designing is becoming more of a reality every week. The BC government is pushing a couple of initiatives that promote sustainable design, but most of them are focusing on alternate energy while keeping the status quo lifestyle. So I am torn. I don't think the only solution is finding alternate energy. We need to look at building up communities, creating a safe, loving, and healthy holistic environment.
My next struggle is that God doesn't want us destroying His Earth. We're suppose to be stewards of the Earth, yet all we do is consume it. Leaving nothing. Scientists predict there is around 40 years left of oil left. Millenniums of decomposition, all used in two centuries. Millenniums of carbon trapped within the Earth released to our atmosphere causing climate change. 73% of Vancouver Islands old-growth forests have been logged. Gone. Centuries of forests, of habitats for other flora and fauna gone. Species everyday going extinct.
You get the point. It's not responsible stewardship.
I am glad for all the attention Climate Change has been getting lately, but I think Climate Change is just a symptom for a much bigger syndrome. It's just one piece. Don't forget about lack of clean water (which is getting worse), malnourishment, monocultures in agriculture, a loss of biodiversity, corrupt governments....and what about people not knowing their neighbours, living in McMansions (aka big suburban homes), homelessness, drug & alcohol abuse, suicide... the list goes on.
Why do we have these problems? Simple. We forgot we're a part of the ecosystem. Humans are a mammal, just like any other. You take an animal out of the wild and they face all sorts of problems with eating, a lack of energy, and reproducing. There have been experiments done on mammals taken out of the wild, separated from their kin and they go crazy.
Humans are crazy now. We performed a giant experiment and created a world for ourselves separate from the natural world. The experiment has failed.
But then again, I guess it all failed when Eve ate that apple.
Aaaahhhh!! My head is spinning!!!!
I feel crazy.
Thanks for listening to my rant :)
The fact is that Joel & I cannot be in school right now without being on student loans (at $24 000 a year), but I don't want to spend the rest of my life paying them off. We want to buy land as soon as possible, and create a self-sustaining community, off the grid, where we can grow our own food, and raise our kids. We would love to have a number of families out there, so we can all combine skills, because it's all about synergy - the effect of the sum is greater than the individual parts.
I'm so sick of this rat race, of getting more and more, yet feeling emptier and emptier. And I am so scared of getting caught in it post graduation! On the other hand, I'm excited for my career, because getting into sustainable community designing is becoming more of a reality every week. The BC government is pushing a couple of initiatives that promote sustainable design, but most of them are focusing on alternate energy while keeping the status quo lifestyle. So I am torn. I don't think the only solution is finding alternate energy. We need to look at building up communities, creating a safe, loving, and healthy holistic environment.
My next struggle is that God doesn't want us destroying His Earth. We're suppose to be stewards of the Earth, yet all we do is consume it. Leaving nothing. Scientists predict there is around 40 years left of oil left. Millenniums of decomposition, all used in two centuries. Millenniums of carbon trapped within the Earth released to our atmosphere causing climate change. 73% of Vancouver Islands old-growth forests have been logged. Gone. Centuries of forests, of habitats for other flora and fauna gone. Species everyday going extinct.
You get the point. It's not responsible stewardship.
I am glad for all the attention Climate Change has been getting lately, but I think Climate Change is just a symptom for a much bigger syndrome. It's just one piece. Don't forget about lack of clean water (which is getting worse), malnourishment, monocultures in agriculture, a loss of biodiversity, corrupt governments....and what about people not knowing their neighbours, living in McMansions (aka big suburban homes), homelessness, drug & alcohol abuse, suicide... the list goes on.
Why do we have these problems? Simple. We forgot we're a part of the ecosystem. Humans are a mammal, just like any other. You take an animal out of the wild and they face all sorts of problems with eating, a lack of energy, and reproducing. There have been experiments done on mammals taken out of the wild, separated from their kin and they go crazy.
Humans are crazy now. We performed a giant experiment and created a world for ourselves separate from the natural world. The experiment has failed.
But then again, I guess it all failed when Eve ate that apple.
Aaaahhhh!! My head is spinning!!!!
I feel crazy.
Thanks for listening to my rant :)
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Etsy!
So I finally made an Etsy shop for myself! I came across the site a few months ago when looking to see how other people sell handmade jewelry, because I knew I didn't want to deal with doing it through my website (too much work!) So when Hanna mentioned Etsy a few days ago it sparked that inspiration again, and away I went.
It's sooo easy to do it through Etsy, all I needed was my paypal account, and a day (or two!) to sit down and do it. So today was the day. It still needs lots more work, because I have a lot of jewelry I want to sell, but over the next little bit I'll get it all up.
So what are you waiting for? Go check it out!
Perizada at Etsy
It's sooo easy to do it through Etsy, all I needed was my paypal account, and a day (or two!) to sit down and do it. So today was the day. It still needs lots more work, because I have a lot of jewelry I want to sell, but over the next little bit I'll get it all up.
So what are you waiting for? Go check it out!
Perizada at Etsy
Thursday, June 7, 2007
What's Your EcoFootprint?
Do you ever stop to wonder how much of an impact your daily life is having on the environment? Think of everything from food, electronics, and clothing to transportation. One way to attach a number to this is to use a EcoFootprint calculator. There are a number of EcoFootprint calculators out there, and all differ from each other - but the point is getting an idea of how much Earth is takes for us to live (very comfortably I may add!) So I checked one out on from my all-time favourite stores - Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC). Check it out for yourself here
Honestly, I like to think of myself as a fairly eco-friendly person. I've been biking everywhere lately (side note- I've been biking to work, and last week I clocked over 100km of biking!!!!) And during the school year I lived on the bus (or at least I felt like I did). My house had 6 people living in it, we recycled more than we threw away. I try to buy only BC grown vegetables- organic when feasible.
But it's not enough.
The Results:
Category/ Global Hectares
Food 3.1
Mobility 0.4
Shelter 1.0
Goods/Services 1.1
Total 5.6
If everyone lived like me, we would need 3.1 Earths...but God only gave us one. I guess it's time for some sacrifices.
I want a Happy Earth.
Honestly, I like to think of myself as a fairly eco-friendly person. I've been biking everywhere lately (side note- I've been biking to work, and last week I clocked over 100km of biking!!!!) And during the school year I lived on the bus (or at least I felt like I did). My house had 6 people living in it, we recycled more than we threw away. I try to buy only BC grown vegetables- organic when feasible.
But it's not enough.
The Results:
Category/ Global Hectares
Food 3.1
Mobility 0.4
Shelter 1.0
Goods/Services 1.1
Total 5.6
If everyone lived like me, we would need 3.1 Earths...but God only gave us one. I guess it's time for some sacrifices.
I want a Happy Earth.
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