let nature do the work

Lavanderia (Laundromat) in Puerto Rico

It's  a simple formula :  clothesline +  sunshine + a bit of time = dry, fresh-smelling clothes.   So, what's the problem?  Why do we Americans tend to like images of clothes hanging out to dry in other countries but we won't actually hang clothes ourselves? 

On my visit to Oz, Australian friends were shocked that I'd never ever hung laundry outside to dry before.   Nope, never.  When I had been an exchange student in Spain, my host mom was the only one who operated the pulley-style clothesline strategically hung outside the kitchen window of the high-rise apartment building.  A few years living in England, though, gave me some good practice without a dryer, but there, hanging clothes was an inside job involving radiators and drying racks (and sometimes resulted in moldy-smelling clothing!)  

A clothesline was an early purchase at my current California home as I wanted to enjoy all this sunshine which I so sorely missed in England.  But it didn't take that long before my stackable washer/dryer right in my bathroom lured me away from my clothesline.  Did I just get re-Americanized?  Or lazy? Or rushed? Or out of touch with nature?  It took my German visitors this past summer who had no interest in my dryer to get me to brush the cobwebs off my neglected clothesline and re-discover a simple pleasure.   

Go Green (Forever) 2011 stamps

Technology, speed, and convenience are wonderful things that I truly appreciate in my life,  but how often do we allow ourselves to disconnect from technology these days and focus on one task at a time?  Being outdoors and engaging in a repetitive task actually seems to induce a state of calm... (for me at least!)
If you need a reason to slow down, save some money, and support the environment, try letting nature do the work!


Article published at:  Everything Home and A Carnival for Saving and Making Money

the closet shopper

"Living with fewer possessions can be a pure joy that is unmatched by anything you can buy." Leo Babauta, Zen Habits
Well said, Leo! Sometimes I've felt weird about how much I enjoy clutter clearing....

Tuesday's spontaneous closet purge (and I'm already known to have a minimalist closet), resulted in more than 20 items leaving the premises. Most went to Goodwill, but I also decided to give The Closet Shopper a whirl. Their "boutique-style recycled clothing for women" tagline matches their tidy, eclectic, thoughfully-arranged shop; no smelly, cramped thrift store here. Articles of clothing are purchased outright and you receive either 35% of the new sale price in cash or 50% in store credit, much easier than traditional consignment which leaves you wondering / waiting / hoping for an item to sell before you see the $$. Two skirts made the cut; one even increased its value: got six bucks back for a Banana Republic skirt I'd purchased back in '07 for just five dollars (from a Jersey smelly, cramped thrift store, no less.) But a la Babauta, I'd say the joy really lies in the empty space between the hangers and the slightly less cluttered brain -- amazing how I feel cleaner on the inside.....

so...what do you do

on your days off? is a popular question I've been asked recently. For this school year, today is day nine of my "every other day" non-teaching days. I don't find "days off" on the mark as I still spend some time sending/responding to work emails, lesson planning, and grading papers, but not sure what to call them... stay-at-home days? not-at-work days? Semantics aside, they are delicious days that I'm free to design as I wish.
Propped up by pillows (PJs on) is how I graded papers on Friday morning before making my way down the coast to Monterey to visit with a friend. Tuesday began with spontaneous and serious closet clutter clearing, wrapped up with Happy Hour on the wharf, and in between involved accompanying a friend to the doctor and doing a bit of paperwork...
I'm not sure what the order of my day will be today -- it's almost 9:30am and so far have jogged along the ocean with a friend, researched NEA-sponsored money market account rates, eaten breakfast, blogged.... and the day is still full of possibility.

working(wo)man's holiday

 It's Monday night, Labor Day, and I'm enjoying the last bits of a FOUR-day weekend. As I re-embrace my part-time lifestyle, I have to say that going into work every other day really suits me.

My more traditional schedule, meatier paycheck, and temporary departure from "the part-time life" last school year was a worthwhile experience too. I enjoyed becoming more connected to the staff at work and gaining a deeper sense of belonging (not just existing as a part-timer on the periphery), as well as experiencing greater financial ease and abundance. In my free time, I danced often, learned some reiki, had a great party for my 40th bday, and traveled to NJ, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda. On the down side, I noticed that I was often knackered (miss using that British word!) on the weekends and got sick more often. There was little time for reflection, and my creativity (outside of the arena of work) was taking a snooze.

Thankfully, I'm gifted with a boss who gets this "part-time me", understanding that I want to take each year as it comes ....and see how I can best create a life where I feel fulfilled and energized both at work and outside of work. I soo appreciate having the ability to CHOOSE.

Having made a different choice last year allows me to have even more appreciation for my schedule this year. My greater sense of connectedness (and worth) at work that I developed serves me well as I realize that working there less now doesn't mean I count any less. Also, the feeling of financial flow that I experienced is something I intend to carry with me as I step back into the part-time life. I've learned that an over-emphasis on bargain-hunting, coupon-clipping, etc. can create an energy of lack; I'm planning on sticking with abundance.

So, on this Labor Day (or "workingman's holiday") , I'll conclude with gratitude for having a lifestyle which allows me to enjoy and embrace both work and play.

this part-timer's dilemma

Yes, it's been ages since I've written. It's even safe to say that I had abandoned my dear blog. I guess I've just been out there livin' the part-time life, not documenting it. I have an amazing work schedule of going into work every other day -- one week I'm at work on Monday, Wednesday, Friday.... the next week I go in on Tuesday and Thursday. Yes, that's a 3-day weekend EVERY week. On my days at home, I still have lessons to plan and papers to grade but can fit that in amongst rides on my beach cruiser, turns of online Scrabble, hikes with friends, naps, Jazzercise, ABC.com downloads, walks along the beach, phone calls to friends and family, time with my boyfriend, jogs, daydreams of future travel, etc. Sometimes I can't believe my good fortune. I am time rich. Plus, I earn a living wage, am debt free, financially independent, saving for retirement, and even going to Europe twice this year (with the help of frequent flier miles and a grant)! Isn't this the dream!?!

Certainly, I strategize financially with lots of micro-choices I make each day. But I don't mind. In fact, I think I even enjoy the challenge. I make lists like: lights off, library movies, $3.99 Moon Merlot wine at TJs, Ebay gifts, eat in, freeze food, walk to chiropracter's, (even flush less.) It's okay with me to consume and use less in order to put my money where my priorities are: visiting my family on the east coast twice a year, living in a nice home, eating good healthy food, and traveling. Also, I am happy to do extra flexible work like substitute teaching and tutoring to earn more here and there.

So what's the problem?? My boss has asked me to teach more next year, essentially changing the essence of my part-time lifestyle. What to do? After my initial rejection of the idea, I become plagued with thoughts that I should be saving more for retirement, maybe full benefits would be nice, I should feel grateful to be offered more work in this economy, I could save all the extra $ and live on what I earn now, etc. What is this script of shoulds I'm plugging into?

What's the script I want to write? I value being rested, balanced, and healthy. I enjoy being a person who is not counting down to Fridays or vacation. Also, I want to take care of all parts of me: current me, future me, healthy me, balanced me, creative me, financially abundant me, and more. Financially abundant me and future me say that it wouldn't be a bad idea to take this opportunity to sock away more for retirement for a year, then continue back to part-time the following year if I want to. But are these two parts of me allowed to make such a huge decision? Will current, healthy, balanced, and creative me be okay with that?

Sleepy me needs to go to bed. Will the answer come in my dreams? Deadline is tomorrow. Answer needs to be given. Help?! Comments welcomed and encouraged.