Adventures with the Diva Cup

Hello, menstruation!

It's been a couple months. I missed you.

I recently finished a book which I would highly recommend to all women and any man who loves a woman. It's called "Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation" by Elissa Stein and Susan Kim. It is all about periods - everything you ever wanted to know, didn't know you didn't know, the history of menstruation, the cultural and historical attitudes, loads of interesting information about what the fem care industry and birth control companies are trying to tell us, and much more. From a literary standpoint, not the greatest (some intense bias and a lot of chapters that end with rhetorical questions); but for all those inquisitive minds like mine (hats off to you, Jeanna and Kat), a lovely read. You'll feel enlightened to be sure.

It's also been a very lovely form of method acting as I try to grasp my character in "The Vagina Monologues," which is coming up in a couple of months! All you who are able, end of Febs, M-Shop, fundraiser for ACCESS Women's Shelter in Ames -- be there.

I have lots of thoughts and fun facts I could share, but the most important thing I took away from the book is this: menstruation is beautiful; tons of blood soaked tampons and pads in landfills, not so beautiful. There are a couple of alternatives (like re-usable pads that get washed in the laundry or dead sponges), but the one that seemed the most likely for me to switch to is a new little friend called The Diva Cup.

I had already been eyeing Miss Diva at Wheatsfield, but after reading Flow, I couldn't not buy one. I had been planning on waiting to buy it until after I used up my current stash of tampons, but then my period started about the same day I finished the book (interesting), and I just couldn't wait. I rushed to Wheatsfield and purchased my first Diva Cup.

The Diva Cup is just one of many versions of menstrual cups available to Green Goddesses(-wannabees) like myself. Other brands are The Keeper, The Moon Cup, and Lunette. The menstrual cup is a reusable cup which is folded and then inserted into the vagina like a tampon (minus the applicator). It creates a suction and catches the blood, then you pull it out, empty the blood, wash the cup, and reuse. It's so simple! For me, the hardest thing (which I would have previously put my foot down about) is that you have to use your fingers to guide Miss Diva into your vag. But I've been getting acquainted with my "eccentric tulip" for the Vagina Monologues, and this was just another way to do that.

I'll be honest, it was really really weird the first time I put it in. But nobody was home, I laughed by myself a lot, and after some rotating, leg lifting, etc., I finally got it. And then... nothing. It was just like having a tampon in. And taking it out was easy, and dumping the contents out was easy, and by the time round two of insertion took place, I felt like a pro.



What can I say? It may be something that takes time to sit in with some of you, but here's what should really help you at least consider this as an option: the average woman will throw away 250 to 300 POUNDS of tampons, pads, and applicators in her lifetime (pg. 235). And don't play ignorant: that waste isn't getting recycled in any way, shape, or form; it's going into our landfills, our dumps, our earth. This is just one simple way to cut back on this bloody mess. Plus, you'll definitely save money over time with the cup - it can be reused for years, if properly maintained.

And I won't even get into the issue of some of the dioxins, bleaches, etc. found in most tampons. Maybe they haven't bothered you. But we've only been using tampons for less than 100 years - who knows if there may be longer term risks.

Anyway, I want to end on an fun note. Here are some intercultural ways to let someone know you're "on the rag."
Netherlands - "The Tomatoe Soup is Overcooked."
Brazilian - "I'm with Chico"
Chinese - "Little Sister Has come"
Latin America - "Jenny has a Red Dress on"
Australia - "I've Got the Flags Out"
Denmark - "There are Communists in the Funhouse"
Ireland - "I'm wearing a Jam Rag"

and many more, if you grab yourself a copy of Flow.

Bleed on, my ladies, bleed on.

P.S. PLEASE comment. I have had so many fun and interesting conversations with people via Facebook in regards to numerous posts I've put up. The purpose of this blog is to have a conversation HERE. If you have a thought, please post it here, and post it with confidence. Trust me - you're not the only one thinking whatever it is you are itching to say to me. So just do it - comment!

Movie Recommendation: Food, Inc.

Put this on your holiday list, folks: Food, Inc. Visit this website: http://www.takepart.com/foodinc

The Point

HI all. First, an apology: I really have never been too fab at keeping up with blogs. If I thought anyone read this on an ongoing basis anyway, I'd maybe try harder. Hint.

So I had a conversation with someone close to me yesterday, and I felt like it got a little heated on my end. First, let me write it down, then I'm going to dissect. We were talking about where to go grocery shopping. This is not verbatim, sorry - I'm doing my best.

Her: We can stop by Wal-Mart.
Me: Or Wheatsfield.
Her: It's cheaper at Wal-Mart.
Me: Wheatsfield's producers grow organically and ethically, ensuring a better environment.
Her: God will take care of our environment.
Me: No, he won't - he left us to be the earth's stewards, it is OUR job to take care of it.
Her: God is in control.
Me: I'm not saying he isn't. He is in control - but it doesn't mean we can ignore our responsibilities.

Now, I'm really not trying to force my beliefs on people about eating organically. If you don't want to or you don't understand why it is important, then I'm sure you wouldn't want to go out of your way. I would think it is wise to choose education on any subject over ignorance, but that's your prerogative. For now. Maybe we won't see much of a change in our own lifetime, but I am sure that our kids will reap the destruction that we've sown, and I'm totally not trying to be apocalyptic.

Ok, my real problem with the conversation is - and has been - when Christians just blow off facts or responsibilities and pass the problem over to God, even when God has asked us IN THE BIBLE to take care of the earth and everything we've been given. I grew up believing it was okay to throw my trash out the window and into the ditch as we drove by because - hey! - we know how the world is going to end (RAPTURE - NOT EXCESSIVE LITTERING), and God is in control, so why bother?

Why bother, hmm? Then why bother asking people to come to church? GOD IS IN CONTROL! Why bother going to work? GOD WILL PROVIDE. Why not do whatever we feel like doing?

Oh, right - because that same God gave us a conscience to know the difference between good and bad. Plants thriving, animals reproducing, humans living in harmony with nature - GOOD. Trash everywhere, plants covered in pesticides, air pollution, animals mutating, and humans ignoring all of it - BAD.

That's the point. It's why I stopped going shopping for clothes every week so that I can spend slightly more to buy food that isn't ruining the world. That and avoiding sweat shops and promoting local artisans. The point is that we all have a responsibility to take care of the world around us. Even if you DON'T [somehow] believe in global climate change [which has been scientifically proven and the whole world conferred on it last week in Copenhagen], how hard is it to respect the land we live on? Why is it SO BAD to consider the plants, the air, the animals that we are polluting and hurting and destroying? God gave the land to us to rule, but not rule like a selfish tyrant, making choices for ourselves and ignoring all of those that are effected by our decisions. God is in control, but I have yet to see him step in and intervene when corporations pump toxic gases into the air, dump pollutants into the water, and fill landfills with waste. He isn't going to step in - he asked us to take care of it. And like everything else I've seen in human history, humans do reap what they sew. So I'm asking this: why are so many people defiantly defending their right to ignore that responsibility and do as they please, regardless of the consequences?

Steam...

I apologize to you, other person in my conversation, if I got snappy or rude. But I felt like the rules of civil discourse and logical reasoning had been thrown out the window and into the ditch just so we could carry on a conversation where the truth can be warped to create a world where everything is okay as long as you trust in God. I don't live in that world. I trust in God and I want to treat this world with the respect I believe God has asked me to give. But I love you.

Jeanna's Christmas Trees

I think recently, full of the holiday spirit, I've been making snarky comments about Christmas trees and how it's so wrong to cut down trees just to put in your house. Then my very insightful and good friend Jeanna told me I was wrong, and told me she'd fill me in later.

I spent the next couple of days contemplating that, and then I decided that it made sense. Fake trees are made out of plastic and are not bio-degradable. Real trees are planted yearly on Christmas tree farms, which is good for our environment! They aren't being cut down from forests, which means that (unlike what I was thinking) it isn't adding to deforestation by any means.

I think a problem I still have with Christmas trees is just that, if you buy one to last you forever, you aren't spending as much money than if you buy a real one every year. So that's my two cents about that.

Don't get me started on the holidays though. Two words: consumerist brainwashing.

Happy Holidays!

http://www.countryliving.com/homes/home-maintenance/eco-friendly-christmas-trees?click=main_sr

Update

It's been a while since I started this little experi-ence/ment, and I think you all deserve the truth: I'm not perfect at this.

I've got a 100% on some aspects. I haven't bought anything from a retail store/non-locally owned businesses. I don't know if I've ever gone this long in my life without walking into a Target. I think the girls at Express are wondering what happened to me. Oh, and I can't tell you how nice it is to be letting my memories of HyVee slip into oblivion (talk to Steven about how much I wicked-hate HyVee). I have saved probably... hundreds of dollars by not buying new clothes. Yes, seriously. I've only bought four sweaters in the last couple of months, and they were from Salvation Army - and they're cute, too! And I was really getting cold. Ahhh guilt free warmth.

Steven and I basically only shop for food at Wheatsfield Co-op here in Ames. It's amazing. It features locally owned food, and even tells you how far from Ames the produce and products come from, which I love. I even occasionally get to eat some locally raised and farmed and walked-abouted and happy beef from very close to Ames. Happy cows live here, too. Just depends on what farm they are from. I feel good about the eggs and milk I'm consuming - I know the farms they are from and the ways they are being "harvested." I think those cows and chickens are proud of the work they do. All the ingredients we buy are organic or locally produced. I just... can't tell you how guilt free I feel about eating. Now, the flip side of this coin is that, in October, our grocery bills almost TRIPLED what they normally are. However, we did have to buy a lot of start-up things, like tons of organic flour for making bread and noodles, what seems like gallons of high quality olive oil, cans and cans of organic tomato sauces, and a very expensive bag of organic (and, unbeknownst to us at the time) vegetarian dog food. Hey Mikey, she likes it! BUT, flipping that same coin over again, this month we've evened out to what should probably be normal, and we're only spending about 50-75 more than before. Not bad, hmm?

I'm going to miss fresh produce this winter.

The shaving is going okay. Steven hates it when I lift my arms, but I'm getting used to the pits and the legs being a little wild. I still shave on occasion, but it's getting easier to stretch the time between shaves out longer. I shaved yesterday, out of courtesy of my co-workers who I will be sharing a hotel room with this weekend. Don't expect it again during debriefing, girls.

I'm very very very much in love with the idea of getting dreads in the future. I'd do it now, but it needs to be about twice as long as it currently is (past my shoulders). I'd rather do it like that than add extensions. Might need to take a trip out to Portland, as I guess the queen of dreading works and lives there and does fantastic coils in record time. Maybe a weekend trip this summer?

Been doing my best to walk/ride my bike to work. I drive less than once/week, and only if I am going to need my car for something else that day where I won't have time to walk home and get it. I like this a lot, but it hasn't even snowed yet... I'm going to need lots of cheerleading soon.

Now... confessions: I've eaten out more than twice/month. BUT I have stuck to the only-locally-owned restaurants, so I guess I get an E for effort. The reason I have a harder time with this rule is because if there is nothing pre-made for me to grab for lunch, I go to work thinking, "Just don't eat for lunch," and by 10:32 AM I'm complaining to my lovely co-worker Ashley that I'm STARVING and WHY DIDN'T SHE THINK TO BRING SOME SOUP FOR ME and GIVE ME ONE OF THOSE M&MS and WANT TO GO TO GREAT PLAINS!?? And usually by the time I get to that last part she's all, "YES OKAY SOUNDS GOOD SHUT UP ALREADY." No, she's way nicer than that. So I end up eating out for lunches more than I meant to. I'm still a work in progress guys, come on.

So, that's my update. I'm also excited to start spending more of my time volunteering and helping my community. P.S. Please come to "The Vagina Monologues" at the M-Shop on campus this February - all proceeds go to support ACCESS Women's Shelter here in town. And I'm in it. And Christelle is going to be in it too, so if not for me, do it for her. She's super cute.

I have stopped washing my face daily. About once every other day. It helps I don't wear make-up that often. My face seems healthier; I think I used to dry poor face out.

P.S. Still loving on 7th Gen products to get me guilt-free through the day-to-day necessities like dishwashing, laundry, and toilet paper.

Goals next up:

• Organic(?)/natural deodorant?
• Organic/natural soaps
• a straight razor for when I do shave
• I really can't wait to have a huge yard sale this spring. I'm going to get rid of, like, everything. If anyone wants some barely used shampoos/perfumes/lotions for like, $1 each, let me know. I have Redken, Paris Hilton, Bath & Body Works, Garnier Fructis... lots o' stuff... just want to get it out of here. I used to be a chronic beauty product buyer.
• Doing away with paper products completely? I think this would be the hardest to convince Steven of.
• The Diva Cup? I'm thinking yes. (stop gagging, wimps - I'm doing this for my kids and yours, and I bet you anything your kids will ask why you didn't try harder. Oops, sorry... Judgment Fail).

Food for Thought

Natalie Portman: Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals

I'd love it if you'd read this article by Natalie Portman on why she is a vegan. I'm not a vegan, and I'm not technically a vegetarian either. I don't agree whole-heartedly on everything said in the article, because I don't believe that all forms of meat-eating are unethical. However, it's this idea that when we don't think about anything we do or the consequences of those actions, we aren't living lives that are good or ethical. You can choose to do and be and eat whatever you want, and I'm really working on not being judgmental. But a spade is a spade: when you don't make an effort, you're being lazy... with severe consequences to yourself, your community, your world, and everyone's future.

Razor Burn

I think all caucasian American women fall into one of two groups: those who can handle letting their leg hair grow out for a while, and those who can't. Most of my friends fall in the first group, and kudos to them. Me not so much. I don't know why, but I really really hate having hairy legs. Ick. Maybe because I like to wear skinny jeans, and skirts in the summer? But even when it's the middle of winter and I could use that tiny extra layer to keep me warm, I whack it off. Regularly, I shave at least once/week, usually more.

One thing I learned while reading "A Good Life" was how bad disposable razors are for the environment. I swept through the information, analyzing each sentence. Then I took all the new facts I'd learned and stored them as far into the back and dusty corners of my brain as possible. Could I give up eating tropical fruits to cut down on the gas it takes to fly them to Iowa? Yes. Would I stop shopping for clothing at retail stores as a sign that I wasn't going to be manipulated by big box retail and glamorous advertising? Yes. Would I walk to work every day even if it was 40 degrees and raining? Yes (*cough sometimes*). Was I willing to stop shaving? I'm sorry, what? Um... let me get back to you on that one...

The facts about disposable razors are pretty sad. Let's start with the fact that keeping our skin smooth and neatly shorn is a strange cultural phenomenon that appears in almost every Western state, as well as the Middle East, India, and Brazil. Generally speaking, we're taking a razor to our bodies for the sole reason that our culture finds leg hair and under arm hair especially offensive and unattractive. Don't even get me started on how young I was when I was asked if I kept other areas of my body shaved, too. It would make you sick. Yes, women go to great lengths to have silky smooth, hairless legs and underarms (and other areas of the body) because our culture tells us to - and it's one of the cultural norms that few of us question. In fact, most of us women have bought into it and agree. While I can't wait for that cultural norm to undo itself, chances are it won't in my lifetime. Why not? The most likely reason is that the razor business is huge, and I doubt they'll ever run out of manipulative advertising that keeps us coming back for more and more razors (the Economist has concluded that the 14-blade razor should arrive in 2100, if trends continue). There are some interesting socio-sexual reasons too (type "leg shaving" into wikipedia for some interesting reading on that). Men love them young girls, and we're all trying to keep our men coming back for more.

Back on the subject of the razor industry: at this point, we're expected to keep our legs silky smooth for the men in our lives (or the men we want in our lives - lord knows if you finally get him interested, he'll back away if he sees your legs unshorn). Each disposable razor is expected to be used 10-15 times, which means that, if I'm using mine properly, it needs to be replaced at least once each month. The US alone tosses 2 billion razors into landfills every year, and you can forget about the urban legend that razor blades are being recycled from decommissioned ships or that the razors are plucked out of your garbage and recycled. Businesses like Gillette earn $10 billion/year, and the industry isn't even creating something complex or seen as a necessity the way toothbrushes or clothing or cars are. Ten billion dollars! For disposable razor blades! Then again, I guess even though we don't think about it, razors really are considered an essential in this country.

Like I said at the beginning, shaving my legs is a staple in my daily (or at least, weekly) routine. I've never been in love with shaving my underarms, but ever since my boyfriend in high school complimented me on the fact that my underarms were always shaved (unlike SOME people he knew), I've kind of gone out of my way to shave there every day. And let me tell you something men - shaving your underarms hurts! With that thought alone, I decided to hide my razor a few weeks ago and was determined to put this cultural double standard in my past. Not only was I hoping to make a difference by cutting back on spending on something that isn't even necessary for my health, but I saw myself making a teeny tiny difference in the local landfill. Thanks anyway, Western culture, nobody is telling me how to be beautiful!

Long story short: I failed. Two weeks later I was hairy and disgusted and ravenous to get that hair OFF MY BODY. I felt sooo ugly! I felt just gross! I felt like a hag! Can you believe it? I couldn't. Every single day in the shower I would lift my legs up and take a look and just be repulsed. It was a serious mind over matter situation, and I felt myself quickly losing. One afternoon after a long day of itchy legs and feeling nasty, I ran home, slipped into a bathtub full of hot water, and lost all self control. I felt like a relapsed smoker, taking long sweet drags on a cancer stick. Thank you Jesus! My legs! My beautiful legs!!! Steven came home to find me sitting in cloudy water, hiding my legs and the razor from his view.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"Just taking a bath?"

"Yes."

Long, awkward pause.

"AND SHAVING MY LEGS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Now, unfortunately I'm sorry to say that Steven hasn't been very supportive of this branch of alternative living. I kind of enjoyed not shaving my underarms (by the time I finally did, I gotta tell you - no razor burn for the first time in months!), but every time Steven looked over at me in that way, both of our gazes would slowly wander to my hideous old woman nasty backwoods culturally unkempt hairy legs. Steven jumped for joy as I screamed out in frustration over my complete lack of restraint.

This is a battle that I'm still working on. I've decided that this might not be something I can do cold turkey. I know that I don't agree with WHY I'm shaving my legs (to fit into what my culture expects of me) and I don't agree with the environmental implications of buying and tossing razor blades willy-nilly. But the feeling of smooth legs sliding into tights or jeans as opposed to hair sticking and poking as I try to put my clothes on and walk around all day... well so far it's been hard for me to try to support the ethical side to this dilemma. So baby steps, my friends. Keep me accountable: for now, shaving once/week.

The ultimate goal, I guess would be to not shave at all? I'm not sure if I'm quite there yet. The other options offered by A Good Life are to have your legs waxed, although this is somewhat painful and costs much more than shaving. However, the legs stay smoother for longer and longer with each wax. Or else, going back to the olden days of a "straight razor" - you know the type? The ones seen in old Westerns and historical time pieces? Well, I don't know where you can pick those up these days, but I'm sure they're out there, somewhere. But what to do when it comes to sharpening them on a piece of leather. My growing PETA enthusiasm makes me cringe at the thought.

I'm not saying it's easy or fun, but even small things like shaving less (or not at all, if you have more strength than me) can make a difference in the way our culture and the next generation spend their money, how our daughters will view themselves as beautiful without having to impress a man with her razor-wielding skills, and the thought of billions of tiny silver and rusting razors in a grave below the surface of the earth... if nothing else, maybe our children will never have to know the pain of razor burn.

Question to those of you living in other areas of the world: Do women there shave their legs? In the Netherlands? In Egypt? South Korea?

Resources:

A Good Life: The Guide to Ethical Living

"Ask Leo & Lucy" (Leo Hickman, writer of A Good Life actually wrote an article about razors, seen here - basically the same thing written in the book)

Wikipedia - shaving, leg shaving

Green Sweeps

I found a great website called www.ecobunga.com - enjoy the savings and fun!

(Sweepstakes to win eco-friendly shoes: here)

Apple Orchard Adventures

Today Steven and I went to a local orchard - The Berry Patch - in Nevada. If you live in the area, I'd suggest you stop by, or find another orchard that interests you. The Berry Patch still had lots of things to go out and pick around the farm - various types of apples, pumpkins and gourds, and even raspberries! The man who was working out front even told us where to find all the best raspberries in a more secluded spot from where the hayride takes patrons. We came home with eight pounds of apples, 1 pound of red ripe raspberries, and four pumpkins - all for less than $20! We're going to use at least two of the pumpkins to make pumpkin pie, we might cut the other two into Jack-o-lanterns. Half the apples have already been cut down and are in the process of being made into a crisp (I'm on a break until the butter warms up a little bit). The other half will probably just be part of my lunches and after-work-snacks for the next couple of weeks. And the raspberries... I don't know! I might just eat them alone or alongside morning muesli... but I really want to try to find something fun and creative to do with them. I might throw a few into the apple crisp just to see what happens.

Here's the Apple Crisp recipe I found on allrecipes.com:

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups butter
• 2 quarts peeled, cored and sliced apples (That's somewhere between 8 large apples to 16 medium apples.)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar. Cut butter into mixture until crumbly.
3. Take half of the mixture and pat it into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. Cover crumb mixture with apple slices, then sprinkle apple slices with remaining crumb mixture.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes or until apples are tender.

Mmmm.... autumn tastes good.

Pank Recipe

Mmmm... homemade pancakes. Or, Panks, as we call them here in the Athay house. The snow is falling here in Iowa, and I'm making breakfast.

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in milk, egg and oil. Mix until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Pancakes/Detail.aspx

Heavy Thoughts on the Walk Home

As I walked home, I had to put my book down. For one thing, the roads were busy, so reading and walking at the same time can become reckless. For another thing, a heavy thought was distracting me.

Here's how it started:

Steven E. Athay I am shocked that Obama won or that he'd even be considered, but I am very proud of my president, as I think the entire nation should be proud.

Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

OSLO — President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in a stunning decision designed to build momentum behind his initiatives to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the Muslim world and stress diplomacy and cooperation rather than unilateralism. ...

One of My Friends Is it like being proud of your son for winning a game, even tho he cheated?

about an hour ago · Delete

Ok, now, listen. I have a personal policy that I don't discuss politics with friends and family. I'm fairly strict about it, because I feel it causes more tension and discord than "being right" is worth. But hear this one out, because this really isn't political.

You can probably tell I edited that. Well, I only did that because I haven't asked permission from the party who left the comment if I can use it, so I decided to just delete it - just in case. But if that person reads this - forgive me. And trust me, I'm only using it as an example of something else.

The comment that Obama cheated to get the Nobel Peace Prize is pretty audacious. And ridiculous. I even responded to the comment online saying the same thing. See, I don't care if you don't think he deserves it; you are totally fine having an opinion about that, as anyone may have with any winner of the prize. Heck, I'm not even sure that he truly deserves the prize. The trouble I have with the comment is that there is nobody in their right mind who could possibly accuse Obama of having the ability (or desire) to cheat to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Now, I don't really believe the person who left the comment believes that. I am pretty sure that person is being snarky - one of the things I like about them. But I do know lots of people who would take a comment like that and totally run with it. Quote it as though it had come down from God himself. And comments like that are thrown around so easily, even from "reputable" media outlets. Comments that can later be dismissed as offhanded, but everyone knows that the audience didn't take it that way.

It's my own belief that we need to be wise with the words we use. Who knows who takes those words and believes them without thinking about it? We are responsible for sharing discernment, not ambiguity; for spreading truth, not opinions. I understand the difference between jokes and seriousness, and that's why I thought this silly post was a good example - I've seen people post similarly ridiculous thoughts that were meant to be taken seriously, and would probably make your hair curl.

My point is that Christians, myself included, usually take on mantras like "Do everything as if you were doing it for God." and post them in our dorms or on our fridges. We wear bracelets that remind us to consider how Jesus would handle any given situation. We memorize verses that tell us to love our enemies. But I only see people apply these things on a small scale. "Would Jesus watch the Simpsons?" "Did I bake this pie as if it were for God?" "I don't have any enemies, so I'm okay, right?"

I rarely see Christians applying their beliefs to the big picture. "Would Jesus be arguing with his friends about politics?" "Did I spend the last 8 hours at work as if I were working for God?" "Am I treating my bitchy co-worker with love and respect...?" (Sigh.)

Here are some questions I wish Christians would ask themselves and try to find their Biblical answers:

How should I treat the environment?

How should I spend my money?

What responsibilities do I have to my community, and how would my life change if I lived like that?

When genocides are happening right now, when people are homeless and jobless, when food is being produced and sold in a way that is destroying the land and making people die... when there are real life and death, generation-changing issues at stake, why are we happy to remain ignorant, watch reality television, and ignore the world around us?

Why am I really arguing with someone about their political leanings? Is it really doing any good?

I used to believe that there was some built up tension between Christians and non-Christians. Then I realized it was between right-wing Christians and anyone (Christian or not) who is left-leaning. I often find myself on the opposite side of the argument than most of my Christian friends. Now I see that, right-wing, left-wing, chicken-wing - we're just fighting to be right. Put the KFC down, my friends (please, choose organic, free-range!). I ask you - is it so important to be on the correct side of the political spectrum. My answer: no. God wants us to love one another, and we're not going to convince each other by pushing buttons, shouting the loudest, or writing the longest facebook comments (or blogs - yikes!). If you're an American Christian, stop wielding your political beliefs around in one hand and your Bible (or lack-thereof) in the other. Jesus didn't do it that way*, why do we insist on doing so?

*At least, the Bible I read doesn't mention that... but if you can find a verse that contradicts me, I'm open to hearing about it.

An Unexpected Burp in the Plan

Two days ago something happened that stopped me in my tracks. Something that hadn't crossed my mind when I began this little experiment. I ran out of toilet paper. TMI?

Instantly I thought, "Well I better stop at Targeohno." I couldn't go to Target. I couldn't go to HyVee. I didn't really know where I could go. I don't know how to make toilet paper, and I wasn't about to buy it second hand. Is there such a thing as recycled... toilet... paper? Is there an ethical way to use toilet paper? I started doing some research.

Maybe a quick, interesting history on TP from Wikipedia first. The Chinese are the first known to use toilet paper (circa 6th century). Wealthy people in the past have used wool, lace, or hemp; poor people used to use their hand (yes), rags, wood shavings, leaves, grass, hay, stones, sand (ouch), moss, water, snow, maize, ferns, husks, fruit skin, seashells, and corncobs. Many countries use bidets instead of toilet paper, although I haven't figured out how they dry off. Any help? I also wonder what their water bills look like. Facts on Wikipedia also said that as of 2009, between 25% and 50% of the toilet paper in the US comes from tree farms in the U.S. and South America.

I found a website called re-nest that had the same questions I did - what kinds of alternatives to toilet paper there are? They say that Americans use more than 50 pounds of toilet paper per year per person (almost twice as much as Europeans use, probably due to their use of bidets). Many of the comments left referred to two alternatives: using cloths for after urination (TP reserved for #2), or using recycled TP (Seventh Generation brand most commonly referred).

I tried to see what "The Good Life" (i.e. My Alternative Living Bible) had to say about toilet paper alternatives, but they were surprisingly mum on the topic. Luckily, as I was beginning to get frustrated, Steven walked in at just that moment announcing that he had just picked up a pack of toilet paper from Wheatsfield, the local co-op we are members of. Since it came from Wheatsfield, I knew that it must be ethical, whatever he brought home. It turned out to be Seventh Generation.

Seventh Generation creates 100% Recycled Bathroom Tissue, whited without chemicals that contain chlorine. A 12-pack was about $12.00. As someone who rarely has a grasp on the value of a dollar (until recently), I didn't know if that was a good price. It seems that a pack of basic Charmin bathroom tissue (12 ct.) is about $7.99. However, let's be honest - we never bought standard TP when we shopped retail, and on top of that, I actually don't recall ever seeing Basic as an option at Target. A 12 pack of Cottonelle (mm...soft) is $12.49 - actually more costly than the recycled version. Scott brand toilet paper packs were also $11.99. After all my research, it seems that buying a package of Seventh Generation is really no different than buying any of the usual suspects!

Rest easy, my friends - the solution (for the Athays) is Seventh Generation. Recycled, unbleached, and the same price as regular toilet paper. Plus, the website www.seventhgeneration.com has lots of great tips about reducing your waste and helping our environment. I'd suggest you become a member of the Seventh Generation Nation for valuable tips and coupons today! (No, I am not being paid to promote 7thGen. I just appreciate them.)

Re-Explanation of the Goal

I want to make something clearer: my goal this year isn't (necessarily) to cut costs and save money. That's actually kind of what I'm against. I think I will save some money in the process of not bowing to peer pressure and seeking out retail therapy. But I'm pretty sure I won't save much money as far as food goes - eating locally and organically still means shelling out the big bucks here in Iowa. It's going to be extra hard in the winter when all I'll really want is some fresh produce.

You see, the goal isn't to save money - it's to make wiser choices when I spend. I want to make sure that the money that I use is being used responsibly. It seems that we all believe the goal is that we save money, but that usually results in farmers and artists having to curb their passions and cater to our less-than-educated requests. We want to save money on furniture, so we buy it at Target or Walmart or Ikea... and then have to replace it within a couple of years. If you're going to buy a piece of crap, why not at least buy it second hand? If you want deals on food, you're risking your health and the sustainability of farmers in your area. If you want to clothe yourself in something nice, don't hand over your money to a huge company that employed a young girl for 10 cents an hour to hunch over a sewing machine, adding the final touch of a little eagle or seagull that makes the $2 top turn into a $40 one; buy clothes made and sold via fair trade, or created by a local designer. The point isn't to save money; it's to spend money more responsibly. It's easy to pretend that we don't have any responsibilities - that our money is ours and we can do whatever we want with it. But we do have responsibilities to those that worked hard to create whatever it is you are about to buy. Because most of those people aren't getting paid properly for what you want to buy from a large company. See for yourself:

"These tomatoes were perfect, and buyers were hungry. Agreements had been made [between local organic farmers and local grocery stores]. But pallets of organic tomatoes from California had begun coming in just a few dollars cheaper. It's hard to believe, given the amount of truck fuel involved, but transportation is tax-deductible for the corporations, so we taxpayers paid for the shipping. The California growers only needed the economics of scale on their side, a cheap army of pickers and customers who would reliably opt for the lower price.

"As simply as that, a year of planning and family labor turned to red mush.

"In Charlottesville, Asheville, Roanoke, and Knoxville, supermarket shoppers had no way of knowing how much heartache and betrayal might be wrapped up in those cellophane two-packs of California tomatoes... Eaters must understand, how we eat determines how the world is used."

exert from "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver

ISBN9780060852559

Walking on the Slow Side

Today, as promised, I walked to work. I don't mind walking to work - it's only about 7 blocks away. It is one of the reasons we chose this apartment - so I could walk or ride my bike instead of drive. But usually I'm lazy and I drive anyway. Oh, don't narrow your eyes at me - you'd probably do it too. If it's rainy, or cold, or you're late. Or tired. Or just don't want to walk. But I piled on my jacket, hat, ear muffs, and gloves. I put on my Pumas (they're really old... and where I'd previously have thought to myself "these are too old, time for new ones!" I haven't). And I walked.

Walking is great. I don't know how I could possibly be too lazy to walk 7 blocks. It takes me about 10 minutes, it gives me some sunshine and exercise, and I usually read while I walk, too. I got to work feeling awake and fresh and ready to start my first day back at work after my recent vacation. The whole day I was full of energy and gladness. I carried my lunch to work today - the egg salad pitas, left over potatoes and butter beans, and a tea bag (for hot tea).

At the end of the day, Steven and I made spinach lasagna with the homemade noodles we worked on yesterday. We used the spinach lasagna recipe from the "Animal, Vegetable, Mineral" website. I think in the future we won't boil the lasagna first - the fresh spinach made the whole meal a bit runny. However, still tasty, and still incredibly satisfying knowing how much work we put into it ourselves.

Finding alternative modes of getting around town isn't hard. Even if I worked on the other side of town, I'm fortunate enough to have a great bus system at my disposal. And if I did have to drive to get to work, there are always other things that don't require a car. A walk to the post office, or to a neighbor's house, perhaps? America has turned into the Land of Convenience. Time is money, we say. But think again: isn't gasoline, too? Driving when it isn't necessary isn't just bad for our purse (gas costs of money!), but it's generally bad for our environment. Walking or riding bikes also helps you soak up some Vitamin D and exercise. Obviously these haven't been enough of an incentive for most people. But here's some food for thought:

• Of each 1,000 units of pollution in urban areas, 560 come from cars, and just seven from buses and coaches.
• According to the Department of Health (of the U.K.), up to 24,000 early deaths a year result from poor air quality in our cities, much of it caused by exhaust fumes.
• In 6,000 miles a car will produce roughly its own weight in CO2 emissions.
• Cars induce us to be lazier and unhealthier. Over a third of car journeys are less than two miles in distance. Research in the US has shown that people who live in the suburbs, where car ownership tends to be highest, weigh six pounds more than those living in the city centers, where the use of public transport, as well as cycling and waking, is much higher.

Facts from "A Good Life: The Guide to Ethical Living"

ISBN 9781903919897

Egg Salad Recipe

I have a real problem with not preparing, packing, and bringing lunch with me to work. This usually ends up with me wandering downtown to get something to eat at one of the restaurants or delis. That won't really work with this "new lifestyle" I'm trying out, so I'm leaning on an old favorite to get me through this first week: egg salad pitas.

Ingredients:

• 8 hard-cooked eggs, diced (locally produced at a nearby farm)
• 1 cup mayonnaise (you could do Miracle Whip if that's your preference)
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped onions (locally grown)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dill weed (or less... I'm not an enormous fan of dill weed)

Directions

• Hard boil the eggs, dice them all up. Take the rest of the ingredients and mix them in with the eggs. Shove into a pita pocket or between bread slices. Show off to your co workers or share with your family.

My best friend in high school used to bring me one of these every day for lunch my junior year. I'm excited to eat them at work tomorrow.

Thinking Everything Over

What does it mean to be American?

Obviously many different things: let me focus. When I think of Americans, I think of overly privileged people - people who believe that they deserve anything they want if they work hard enough for it, if they can pay for it. What does it mean to be privileged? For most, I think it means being able to acquire anything one may want.

We have everything at our fingertips. We live in nice residences - even those of us apartment dwellers don't have a lot to truly complain about. Electricity, indoor plumbing, heating, A-Con, internet, cable TV. Any standard apartment here is much nicer than what most humans call "home." Almost everyone over the age of 18 owns a car. Most of us have our own computer. We have jobs and job security (not as much as of late, but still). We have extra money to go buy the clothes we want, buy decorations for our homes, get our oil changed, go out to eat, go on vacation, stay in fashion. A la mode.

We eat more and we spend less. We spend less and we accumulate more. We are surrounded by everything we think we want - and yet we still want more. What we just bought is outdated, the clothes we are wearing are so last season, Apple just came out with ANOTHER operating system?? We aren't happy and we can't buy happiness - no matter how hard we try.

We know this is the way it is, and yet we still keep trying to make it all work in the system we live in. Recently, I've become more and more informed on living ethically in a way that sustains our environment, doesn't damage my community, and promotes good business and health practices worldwide and within my own life. Our country is looking at everything completely backwards - from the way our taxes subsidize farmers to douse the least flavorful species of produce with harmful pesticides to make them gorgeous and durable for thousands of miles of travel to the way each of us individually believes that our political perspective is the most right and everyone else is WRONG (morally and ethically) to the way we drive around with road rage and eat at fast food restaurants and complain that we are gaining weight. We go to Big Box Retail or fast-food restaurants to get the best deals on the products we want, never knowing where or how the prices got lowered. You've got to know by now that, if the price is low, there is a reason for it. Either the quality is poor or someone got stepped on. We've forgotten the lessons our mothers taught us about distinguishing between our needs and our wants, and we don't care about the cost. The line is blurred, the water is murky, and we are leaving the consequences to chance, or to our children and future generations.

I'm ready for real change. I can't expect real change to come from outside and trickle down to me. I have to take this life by the reigns and retrain it. I'm about to undergo my own social and economic experiment. God help me, I'm going to do what I can to live the simple life.

I'm going off the grid. This includes driving minimally, making minimum to zero purchases at big box retail and franchises, spending more money on GOOD, HEALTHY, and LOCAL food, cooking more instead of going out to eat, and spending more time learning about the practices that promote more good than bad - not just for me, but for everyone involved. And I plan to document it all here. My goal is to live this way for a full year, picking up new traits and practices as I go, learning from those who already know, and leaving behind bad habits that my culture has handed down to me. I want help and I want feedback from anyone who can correct me when I could be doing something better.

Here are the initial rules (with more to follow, I'm sure):

No shopping retail, big box stores. No more Target, Express, Bath & Body Works, etc.

Only buying clothing that I need - and only second hand, created by local artisans, or via fair trade.

Avoiding shopping at large grocery stores - only local, co-op, organic, or homemade.

Driving only when absolutely necessary. Walking or bike riding as much as possible. Even when it gets bitterly cold.

Cooking more. Only two restaurant trips/month (for now).

Not purchasing ANYTHING unless I NEED it. And then, only second-hand and locally if at all possible.

On top of documenting this year, I plan to write short reports about topics of interest, problems our culture faces, and solutions. I'll also be adding recipes me and my husband try out and things I learn to make to replace what I would have bought. America, I'm so over your consumerism and capitalism that only benefits those at the top. But I can't blame you - it's the consumer that sets the rules. The truth is that we can all do our part to make our lives healthier, give farmers a better wage, and make sure that laborers worldwide are receiving what they deserve. On top of that, it doesn't take a lot to find out where the products you are buying come from, and if the practices used to produce them are ethical. All one really needs to do is think again. Do I need this? Is it good for me and my community? Can I make it instead of buy it? Was it produced ethically? What, if any, damage was caused to get this product to me? I'm playing with new rules. I'll think again before I buy anything this year. Wish me luck.