Year after year, some folks make the same resolutions and then just into the year, break their good thoughts and give up. I have done it, too. Some resolutions are hard to stick to. Losing weight is one of those. I found that I could never keep that one, but what worked for me was to give up one thing that contributed to weight gain. So for one year, I gave up eating French fries or potato chips. That worked. I ate not a morsel of such things that year, and was absolutely fine. For one, it was not something that I consumed daily, therefore; it was easy to not have it.
So, what have been some of your not so successful resolutions? I would still like to lose weight, but am not fixated on it anymore. I am relatively fit for my age, could be much better, but given that I have some health concerns, I think I have come a long way. Once I master the self treatment of arthritis, I believe I will be able to do more physical activity like yoga. A few years back, just getting up off the floor was not possible, not without help. I can do that now. But that is not what my resolution will be this year.
I have been concerned about something we all use and have in our day to day lives, that is killing our world. Plastic bags. Here, you are not supposed to put garbage in the dump if it is not in a plastic bag. I plan to challenge that rule. And I plan to challenge myself to not use plastic bags this year. I cannot stop the use of all plastic, but would like to. Everything we get, from dental floss to crackers, is packaged in plastic. A few plastics are reusable and/or recyclable, but here there is no recycling anyhow. I have been pondering how to manage without plastic bags. Once before I gave it a good stab, but coming here, it is much more difficult.
First, the garbage inside the home, which I have extremely little of, will not be put in a plastic bag. I bought a special metal garbage can to use for household garbage. In one month, I hardly have a grocery bag of actual garbage. I burn paper and compost vegetative matter, the pigs and dogs get left overs and the only real garbage then is the plastic packaging around food and other purchased items. When I go to the grocery store, I elect not to take the small plastic bags to put individual vegetables in. I just put them in the cart as is. But half the time I forget my reusable bags in the car, so half the time, accept plastic grocery bags. This year, that is not an option. I will have to pack the groceries back into the cart and go to the car and pack them in the bags in the car. After a few times like that in 30 below, I will likely remember to bring in my shopping bags.
So, household garbage will be just put directly in the can. Grocery bags will no longer be in the house. What do I do with the garbage then, once I need to empty my household can?
I have other garbage cans outside. Since the garbage does not contain moist things, it will not freeze in the winter and can be put directly in the bins. The bins then will be loaded in the truck and taken to the dump and emptied there whether the dump man likes it or not. I will write a letter to the city of ST. Paul explaining why I am not using garbage bags if necessary.
Let me recap: 1. no grocery bags or garbage can liner bags
2. reusable grocery bags only
3. empty household can into large can and large can to the dump
5. compost vegetative matter that the pigs do not eat, or chickens or dogs.
6. left overs to the dogs and pigs
7. burn paper
I still will have some things to deal with, like the bones that the dogs have not eaten. They actually eat a good portion of bone with their meat, but some is too hard to chew and is left. Those will have to be picked up and buried on the farm. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, is the old saying. Other farm debris, like twine and wire can be taken to the dump directly too.
For my new year's resolution, I want to stop using plastic bags. I want to stop plastic, but that is not realistic. Baby steps are what will make this successful. Now the plan is made and laid out, I am ready. I got the bags out today and the trash will go to the dump tomorrow if it is open. My resolution is not just for me. It is for the Earth. If we all did the same, wouldn't that make a huge difference?
What are you going to do for your New Year's Resolution?
So, what have been some of your not so successful resolutions? I would still like to lose weight, but am not fixated on it anymore. I am relatively fit for my age, could be much better, but given that I have some health concerns, I think I have come a long way. Once I master the self treatment of arthritis, I believe I will be able to do more physical activity like yoga. A few years back, just getting up off the floor was not possible, not without help. I can do that now. But that is not what my resolution will be this year.
I have been concerned about something we all use and have in our day to day lives, that is killing our world. Plastic bags. Here, you are not supposed to put garbage in the dump if it is not in a plastic bag. I plan to challenge that rule. And I plan to challenge myself to not use plastic bags this year. I cannot stop the use of all plastic, but would like to. Everything we get, from dental floss to crackers, is packaged in plastic. A few plastics are reusable and/or recyclable, but here there is no recycling anyhow. I have been pondering how to manage without plastic bags. Once before I gave it a good stab, but coming here, it is much more difficult.
First, the garbage inside the home, which I have extremely little of, will not be put in a plastic bag. I bought a special metal garbage can to use for household garbage. In one month, I hardly have a grocery bag of actual garbage. I burn paper and compost vegetative matter, the pigs and dogs get left overs and the only real garbage then is the plastic packaging around food and other purchased items. When I go to the grocery store, I elect not to take the small plastic bags to put individual vegetables in. I just put them in the cart as is. But half the time I forget my reusable bags in the car, so half the time, accept plastic grocery bags. This year, that is not an option. I will have to pack the groceries back into the cart and go to the car and pack them in the bags in the car. After a few times like that in 30 below, I will likely remember to bring in my shopping bags.
So, household garbage will be just put directly in the can. Grocery bags will no longer be in the house. What do I do with the garbage then, once I need to empty my household can?
I have other garbage cans outside. Since the garbage does not contain moist things, it will not freeze in the winter and can be put directly in the bins. The bins then will be loaded in the truck and taken to the dump and emptied there whether the dump man likes it or not. I will write a letter to the city of ST. Paul explaining why I am not using garbage bags if necessary.
Let me recap: 1. no grocery bags or garbage can liner bags
2. reusable grocery bags only
3. empty household can into large can and large can to the dump
5. compost vegetative matter that the pigs do not eat, or chickens or dogs.
6. left overs to the dogs and pigs
7. burn paper
I still will have some things to deal with, like the bones that the dogs have not eaten. They actually eat a good portion of bone with their meat, but some is too hard to chew and is left. Those will have to be picked up and buried on the farm. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, is the old saying. Other farm debris, like twine and wire can be taken to the dump directly too.
For my new year's resolution, I want to stop using plastic bags. I want to stop plastic, but that is not realistic. Baby steps are what will make this successful. Now the plan is made and laid out, I am ready. I got the bags out today and the trash will go to the dump tomorrow if it is open. My resolution is not just for me. It is for the Earth. If we all did the same, wouldn't that make a huge difference?
What are you going to do for your New Year's Resolution?
The sea birds and fish are dying because they eat the plastic in the ocean. I do not want to contribute to that.http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/07/03/comment-99-plastic-we-throw-ocean-has-mysteriously-disappeared
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