Being over-busy & unsustainable

So as you may have guessed from the infrequency of updates lately, things have been rather busy at the Little House on the Hill. Or more specifically, for one of the occupants.

In some ways it's par for the course for me to be juggling multiple jobs, plus community group involvement, seeking approval for our new shed, updating my "tickets" for work and doing whatever else it has been that has swallowed the past couple of months. I like to do many of these things. I feel I want to do many of these things (although sometimes that feeling has changed between agreeing to them and getting them done!) and for some, my jobs require I do them.

But I'm also feeling a bit worn down by them all. Which makes me reflect on just how un-sustainable it is to be over-busy. I realise that everybody's tolerance and juggling abilities are different. And we all have different interests, obligations, work commitments and relationships. Build-It Bloke and I have more flexibility than most, with no kids and relatively tame financial commitments ... and for us, both of those come from conscious choices we've made. I do aspire to a simpler life. For me, earning less but having more time to do the things that matter to me, and that make me happy, is a desirable outcome.

So that said, this recent busy-ness has really shown me that these goals, and indeed sustainability generally, suffer when the proverbial hits the fan. What do I mean? Well, firstly it wears me out, both physically and mentally. This makes everything seem so much harder. For me, I feel like I've got too many things to keep track of. I may be attempting lots of things (and perhaps even appearing to pull them off) but I don't feel like I'm doing any of them particularly well. And that takes the zing out of doing them. What's more, even if it is a job well done, there's no time to enjoy it - you race off to the next thing.

Then there are the flow-on effects. I cut corners in an attempt to squeeze more in. I eat "convenience foods" (pre-packaged, pre-prepared or takeaway) because I don't have the time/energy/patience to cook real food. Incidentally, often the fastest food around here can be found in the backyard (way closer than the supermarket and even a takeaway option), but of course if I've not found time to tend the garden, or the staples that turn it from raw veg into a meal aren't in the cupboard, that option isn't on the list! Then in my haste I take the car instead of the bike because it's quicker. But I miss out on the exercise and 'time-out' that a cycle commute offers, and I'm tempted to squeeze in another appointment or job with the 'extra' time. Even the amount of waste we create goes up, because we buy more packaged stuff and have less time to consider putting that packaging to a second use once we're done with it, let alone finding a work around or sourcing something secondhand or local.

While the temptation is to say I didn't 'choose' those outcomes, (rather I was choosing the shortcut and those less-desirable outcomes were unintended consequences; by-products of busy-ness, if you like) the reality is that the choices I made did bring them about. If I don't like the outcomes, I need to make different choices.

So, I recognise that being over-busy isn’t sustainable for me personally. It’s not only the effort required to do those many things, it’s that it mucks up so many other aspects of my life that are also important to me. That means I need to consider my priorities and take further steps on my seemingly eternal quest to learn to say ‘no’, especially to things that bring too many undesirable outcomes. Wish me luck! 

August Permi8 gathering

[A belated report, sorry] A brave crew of Permi8 people gathered at Lou and Emmo's in early August, dodging the showers to take a look at all going on at their ever-inspring property.

There was plenty of discussion around the pruning of fruit trees. Lou and Emmo have some free standing, 'vase' shaped trees as well as others being trained in various ways on trellises. It was interesting to hear particpants' different approaches to pruning as well as the pros and cons of growing trees grafted onto dwarf rootstock. 

It was noted that this year may be an interesting one for peach leaf curl, as many people had found it hard to time spraying for this in between all the rain we've been having.

The discussion also touched on some of the tips and information provided at the Seed Savers' Fruit Fly information session in the weeks prior. This included the roles of traps (monitoring the presence of FF), baits (designed to kill), exclusion (netting whole trees or limbs/fruit using bags and sleeves) and other ways to repel or manage them (encouraging predators, fruit choice, removing protein sources, taking a community-wide approach). Ultimately fruit fly control requires ongoing effort and won't be solved by a single solution used once.

As the showers threatened once more, we took the opportunity to enjoy a cuppa and snacks in the cosy confines of the house. Thanks to our hosts and happy pruning everyone.

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Sustainable House Day, Wodonga

Sustainable House Day comes to our area again this year on Sunday 12th September. From 10am to 4pm the Border Eco Living Program will host four open houses showcasing different approaches to improving sustainability. All four homes are in Wodonga and are different to the three Albury homes that opened last year.

If you’re thinking about improving your home’s energy, water or waste management efficiency, speaking to homeowners about their own experiences is a must. Seeing real sustainable projects in action, and learning what worked well and not so well, will help save you time and money.

There will be plenty of information available on the day, including from the householders themselves, brochures from sponsors, and local community groups on hand at many of the homes to provide you with tips on sustainable living.

There are sure to be many inspirational ideas to adapt to your home. When else can you visit an earth sheltered home, a home made from Styrocon, a home where the electricity bill is in credit and another where they’ve made running their pool cheaper and more environmentally friendly, all in Wodonga on the same day? There are plenty of other features to check out as well.

Entry to the houses is free. For house locations and more details visit www.sustainablehouseday.com/victoria.php and scroll down to the Wodonga houses. More detail can be found via the ‘info sheet’ link for each home. Or click on the photos of the homes below.

If you'd like to get into the spirit of the day, perhaps you'd like to cycle to the homes?

It's just 7.4 km to visit all four homes - that's less than driving between them, because you can take advantage of the parks, cycle paths and quieter streets. (You do need to get to the first home, and home from the last one - don't forget to add that in!). A map of a suggested route is at http://bit.ly/SHDcycle.

Visit as many or as few homes as you fancy, in the order of your choice. No booking required.

An earth sheltered home with veg growing on the roof

 Help with cooling from Willow Park, excellent solar passive & zoned

 Unit built from Styrocon, smart use of a small space, extra insulated  Solar passive, photovoltaics and reducing the energy & water requirements of a pool

Determined Jonquils

Despite having been run over by the excavator, buried, stepped on and generally treated very poorly, the Jonquils out the front have burst into bloom this week as if to say 'we're still here!'.

Elsewhere the garden is mostly in a holding pattern. The kiwi fruit vines out the back have suffered a little with recent frosts, so we're now covering them when chill is predicted. The sloping nature of the block and our raised beds, as well as our position high on the hill, mean we have a very protected microclimate when it comes to frost compared to many in the region.

Speaking of microclimates, the chillies on the front verandah are still producing, happily taking in any northern sun that's on offer and fully protected from any risk of frost.

As well as them, we're harvesting broccoli, silverbeet, parsley, asian greens, lettuce, spring onions and sugar snap peas.