I gave in. I joined Facebook. Staying in contact with non-blogging, non-Twittering family and letting them know where we are on the road finally won out.

But I’m determined not to let it be a time suck. I figure this is best done by maintaining a feeling of cynicism and reluctance towards the whole thing. It helps that I don’t entirely understand it yet.

I also added Google’s Friend Connect (lower right column of the blog). I’m told it helps Blogspot users follow my blog easier, but I’m not sure I entirely understand that, either.

Do you see what peer pressure does to me? Next thing you know I’ll be chugging the Kool-Aid and jumping off bridges.

All Before and After shots here

It’s still a little stark, but I’m seeing it as a wide open canvas, to be filled with memories along the way. I’m thinking of embroidering the shower curtain and front window curtains, hanging photos and finding unique items to decorate the walls all while on the road.

Interior:

• Removed vinyl wallpaper from ceiling
• Refinished ceiling
• Replaced broken paneling on walls
• Cleaned more smoke residue off the walls than I thought possible
• Removed old carpet
• Removed microwave
• Built doors for cupboard where microwave was
• Painted bright white to open space
• Painted and hung new curtain rods (made from dowels)
• Replaced vinyl shower walls with panels
• Replaced peeling countertops and tabletop
• Installed secondhand flooring
• Replaced vinyl backing on seats
• Sewed new seat cushion covers
• Hung new curtains
• Shampooed carpets and seats in front cab
• Deep, deep, deep cleaning

Body/Engine/Technical:

• New blackwater tank
• Resealed the roof
• Resealed and repaired drafts
• New tires
• Numerous engine leaks fixed
• New shocks
• New power steering pump
• Glow plugs
• Tuneup
• New deep cycle batteries
• Two 80 watt solar panels (will supply all electrical needs)
• Lots of small misc things

Things soon to be added:

• Rocket stove
• Water filter
• Hand-cranked blender
• Waste veggie oil conversion
• Our things! (clothing, pillows, blankets, games, etc)

We’re hoping to be in my mid- to late-February, with a few more weeks to adjust to the smaller spaces before we hit the road.

My favorite thing (other than the whole get-outta-dodge aspect)?

Our new home blessing hung over the door:

With our tiny RV and everyone we’re hoping to meet on the road,
I don’t think this will be a problem.

And because it just didn’t feel right not to, I updated my blog layout and header to reflect our new transition. If you’re in a Reader, be sure to come check it out!

Not only did he make a blog, he even got his first post up.

Not Too Simple

Show him some love, will ya?

He plans to blog about full-time RVing, sustainability issues, home brewing, and other personal interests. He feels as if he’s at the start of something and wants to chronicle his journey through it, without feeling locked into any one topic.

The problem is he has no idea what to call it!

I’ve given him two suggestions – UnlostWanderer (inspired from the quote “Not all who wander are lost”) and for laughs, SustainInTheMembrane, cuz he’s a Old School dork with a sustainable streak.

But he’s unsure. So, he’s asking for your help. Do you have any suggestions for him?

Erin’s post reminded me that I had never posted our own version of the same.

Many months ago, when I had made a brief mention on the blog of a project Zeb was working on then mentioned that fact to him, he was not so happy. That little tidbit suddenly thrust before his eyes the reality that lots of people read about him. People he doesn’t know. And that makes him very uncomfortable.

So, he asked me to not blog about him.

It’s a difficult situation, whether you’re talking about your child or your friend. Those of us that find something (connection, communication, an outlet – creative or emotional or both – or more) in blogging, blog from our own perspective. We delve into our experiences and emotions and thoughts with our own level of comfortable abandon. And everything within that perspective feels personal.

But the feeling is deceiving. Blogging isn’t personal because my life isn’t personal. It’s shared with an amazing husband and son with thoughts, emotions or perspectives of their own. What I may want to share from my own point-of-view may will look different from theirs. And if those two perspectives conflict (on the experience of the blogging of it), it’s obviously a problem.

NOT a picture of Zeb. Just my cold feet by my fake fire
getting ready to crochet a blankie for my sis.

I suppose it’s a bit of a double standard. I wouldn’t dream of blogging about a personal experience with a friend, but I so quickly forget my home life is not just my own. It belongs to them, too. So, while this is “my” blog, it also belongs to them in the sense of moderation.

I’m glad that Zeb was comfortable enough to ask me to refrain. And I’m also glad that when there is something I’m very excited to share, I may ask him and many times he will be fine with it. Especially when he feels it may inspire other families (he’s all about the advocacy these days).

So you may see (or have seen) lots of unschooling or parenting posts for me that seem heavy on the ”theory”, with less emphasis on practical, real-life examples of our experiences. And you may see very little about what Zeb is up to these days.

And there might be are some posts that I write out for my own purpose (I tend to work things out best in writing) but never publish because they contain private information I’m not at liberty to divulge.

But know that he is good and well and just not as publicly open as his mama. And also know that anything you see that mentions him, I write it in full respect of and with approval from my son. (My husband, thankfully, doesn’t mind.)

I offered a giveaway a few weeks ago. It was a favor for a friend and it wasn’t a product or a format that I would be comfortable using again – not because there was anything “wrong” with it but because it just wasn’t my style. But it was a learning experience and I was able to walk away with a better understanding of one way of doing things. However, it wasn’t my way, so I’m setting my standards now.

• I will never, ever, ever add or accept a sponsor that I wouldn’t support myself. This means sponsors have to be small businesses and sustainably-minded. They have to offer products of good, lasting quality and not just “Stuff” that no one needs. If I wouldn’t bring it into my home, you won’t see it on my blog.
• I’ll do giveaways, reviews, sponsored posts, Amazon links and buttons on my blog. I won’t do Google adSense or other random ads that give me no control over content. That’s crap.
• I’m going to be completely honest. I won’t review a product (or book or whatever) that sucks and tell you it’s wonderful. I hate when blogs use excessive exclamation marks when talking about their sponsors. You’ll get what you always get from me – my honest opinion.
• This is still my blog – my space. I’m not going to turn it into some spammy site full of irrelevant ads and cheesy crap. I’m not going to be an endless stream of sponsors, so that reading my blog isn’t worthwhile anymore. I’m not going to change what I do or who I am to make a buck. This will probably mean I won’t be making much from this endeavor ;) but my integrity is worth more than my bank account.

.
Again, this was a really tough decision for me. I’d love to keep the status of an ”Ad-Free Blog” but even more so I’d love to accomplish our Five-Year Plan and live self-sufficiently on our own debt-free land and this is one more way to enable us to do that without me resorting to desperate means. I hope no one will view me or my blog differently or change their mind about following me.

I’d love to hear your thoughts or feedback on this. You can comment or email me.

P.S. And if you have a product, online store or book that you think I’ll like, let me know and we can chat.

.

Thanks to Kathie for letting me blabber on. Also, thanks to her for starting the Doing Not Thinking Challenge, which I have ironically been doing a lot of thinking about. HA!

I’m using this opportunity to really focus on what I’ve been wanting to do for some time. But sometimes the timing isn’t right or you’re not fully ready to move forward and you just have to wait for the right moment to jump in. Thankfully her challenge came at the right time and I’m ready to capitalize on the opportunity. I feel good!

So I’ve been starting by organizing my thoughts and formulating a plan. I have until September 20th, which is 20 weeks from today. I updated my lists on my sidebar to reflect my goals and track some progress. And I added one. Here they are again:

• Goal #1: Time management: – to find a rhythm to my days that allow me to have fun, enjoy the things I don’t want to miss and accomplish the tasks I’d like to accomplish.
• Goal #2: Purge every room of my home of uneeded or unused “stuff” and hopefully have a yard sale (or ditch that idea and donate it all to Goodwill – Carol, maybe we could do our yard sale together? Or carpool to Goodwill!). I’ll have a little less than two weeks for each area.
• Goal #3: Learn to play the harmonica and successfully execute an entire Beatles song by the end of the challenge. It’s my all-time favorite instrument – I already own three of them – and I’m determined to begin practicing, with the intention of daily practice, knowing full well that’s unlikely but working towards it anyway. I know I won’t be tearing it up in 20 weeks, but I’ll at least be on my way.

Something else this challenge has motivated me to do is reorganize the blog. I eliminated my “Resources” page and added it all to an Amazon aStore in my links. I listed all my favorite unschooling, parenting, gardening and “green” books and more. FYI, I do get a commission for anything ordered off the aStore so if there is something you need would you mind checking there first? All funds go towards our land! :)

I also updated my other pages, adding “Our Garden” which is where I’ll update what’s growing and provide a few quick links to relevant blog posts. And I’ve updated The Five Year Plan as best I could with so much up in the air right now. I still haven’t figured out why this theme/layout won’t allow the page comments to show, though.

I created a button for my Sustainable Baby Steps posts to help it stand out and I also updated my “Sustainable Actions” list and added an Amazon “On My Nightstand” widget so you can easily spy on what I’m reading. (P.S. I’m always looking for more great books to read. As if I don’t have enough already.)

Then there is the “Check This Out!” links on the right – all the cool things I’ve found and wanted to share. And a “Find More of Me” in case you just can’t get enough. And I rearranged and added and omitted some links, and changed up my categories, as well.

And, soon I’ll have a new header and a button to share my blog.

I feel so accomplished! What have you been working on?

Guidelines:

1) Link to Green Meme Bloggers.
2) Link back to whoever tagged you. (no need to wait to be tagged!)
3) Include meme number
4) Include these guidelines in your post
5) Tag 3 other green bloggers.

Green Meme #3

1. Are you keeping your temperature (heating/cooling) systems on low? If you have radiators are they fitted with thermostats?

Right now they are off completely and will remain off until mid to late May. Our heater was set to 55 (F) at night and 60 in the mornings and most of the day. In the summer, our AC is never set below 80 and sometimes we can manage 84.

2. If yes to the above, what do you to keep warm/cool without resorting to turning up those numbers?

This winter we wore many layers. And stayed near the sunny windows when possible. We also used multiple blankets on the bed and a heating pad at night sometimes for me since I get colder easier than the guys.

3. Do you turn your fridge temperature down when it has less items in it?

No, I keep it full  – sometimes with water jugs. I’m wondering how much power is used to turn it high again after having it down and whether this actually evens out in the long-run or causes more wear and tear on the engine. Sorta like if you turn your heat/AC off when you’re gone to save power and then it has to work harder when it’s back on. Who knows…

4. Do you unplug unused small appliances?

I never remember to do this. Ever. I got one of those electrical plug boxes that sit inside a plug (turns two outlets to four or six) in hopes that I would remember to just pull it out. I don’t.

5. Do you switch off rather than leave on standby; TV/computer/dvd player/etc?

Nothing goes on standby in our house. Everything is shut off. Zeb usually forgets his computer but now that’s it’s downstairs I will notice and turn it off if he forgets.

6. Do you own (or will you purchase in the future) energy-efficient (star-rated) home appliances?

All of our appliances are Energy Star except the washer and dryer that came with the house. We don’t use the dryer, though. Eventually (when it dies) we’ll replace the washer with a front loading one.

7. Do you have any green goals/hopes for the next few months?

Getting my garden in (probably start a lot this weekend), sell our second vehicle, get our solar oven finished, other misc stuff….

I was tagged by Mon at Holistic Mama. I’m tagging LisaZ, Denise and Elizabeth…

I’ve missed this space. I’m just dying to blog. Some woman crave chocolate when they’re PMSing. I crave words. And other unmentionables. And those things put together are pretty fun, too. Oops, digression…I just have so much to share but how could I possibly do it without visuals? So, I’m compensating.

The first thing I did to occupy my aching fingers was to add our To Do in ’09 list to my left side bar. It’s long. And getting longer by the day. And most items should really have sub-items, but whatever. It gave me something to do.

But it wasn’t enough. So, in order to calm my deprivation and hopefully recover all the readers I’ve lost during my hiatus, here is everything I’ll be telling you once I get my baby back:

• Photos: Christmas sets. Shoots. Other stuff that went on that doesn’t need it’s own blog.
• More about Cloth Toilet Paper: I know everyone is just dying to know how we wipe our asses around here. How could I deny you that 411?
• An Update on Zeb and Santa Claus: Sad day for Dad. Relief for me.
• Organic Lice Treatment: No, we didn’t get it. But dready mamas take no chances, so treated we were. This promises to be an informative blog, so tell your crunchy friends.
• All Zeb’s New Lessons: A menagerie and a big step for a recovering schooler.
• Homemade Vanilla Extract: Yum.
• Canning Trials: Complete with a vintage guide from the 40′s. Uber-cool.
• Seed Starting: And by starting, I mean I started starting. This blog will be a couple weeks away when the rest of my seed arrives.
• What I’ll Be Planting in 2009: Let’s just say I went overboard while ordering.
• Raised Beds and Yard Updates: For those who want the details.
• Knitting: Yes! I’ve learned…er, I’m learning! I’ll also share the strangest, and most intriguing, thing I’ve ever seen. I’m taking bets on who will try it for me.
• Sustainable Actions Update: Remember the list in my sidebar? Well, it needs updating. New things. Things we’ve been slacking on. Goals for this year.
• Plugs and Wishes: This will actually be it’s own page. Stuff I love. Stuff I want. It will exist because of this next bullet point…
• Our Five Year Plan: This one is big. Huge. Ginormous. Life-encompassing. It doesn’t actually involve photos, so maybe if you ask me pretty-please I won’t keep you waiting as long.

I bet you’re as anxious as me for my laptop. Sure you are. So, which ones should I share first?

Why theorganicsister? My mom and (step)dad have four girls between them. A few years ago when I was taking my first steps to being the crazy passionate person I am today, my dad dubbed me “Organic”. Original, I know. I think it was the youngest of us sisters that started whining about not having her own nickname so we came up with names for all of us. Leah, the oldest one who had gone awry and come back around, was The Prodigal Sister. Autumn, the next oldest who’s never done a single thing wrong in her life, was The Pedestal Sister. I, being the one who had recently discovered the benefits to an all-natural diet, was The Organic Sister. And Carley, the whiny one who can cry on demand and thus gets anything she wants from our dad, was known as The Baby Sister. The names stuck and it’s my username on almost every forum or group I’m in. So it has meaning and history. And as I said, I’m not sure why I didn’t pick it before now.

So now I don’t know what to do. What do you think? Click on that fancy poll thing that WordPress gave me and let me know your opinion. Or leave me a comment if you have an opinion of your own to share with me. Unless it’s not nice. In which case you can keep it somewhere dark and stinky.

[polldaddy poll=1173177]