A city girl's explorations into sustainable living

Recently I found myself unemployed, pondering what I should do with my life next. All the career books say, do what you love. Find your passion. Follow your bliss. As if there is an answer -- a solution that will allow you to make money doing what you were meant to do. Help the world, help yourself, and make money!

For me, it's not so easy. I'm interested in a lot of things, but nothing that I am willing to invest in enough to turn it into a career.

I'm what Barbara Sher calls a "scanner," or what Margaret Lobenstine calls "the Renaissance Soul." At least that's what these self-help books for the career-stunted tell me.

What I tell myself is that I'm a learner. And what I want to learn about right now is sustainable living. I have a feeling it's what I'm supposed to be doing -- even if it doesn't pay. Even if it COSTS money to do.

I am meant to be a student right now, exploring peak oil, the economic crisis, climate change, sustainable agriculture, community building, permaculture, natural capitalism, Transition Towns, rural sociology, and my own spiritual growth. I honestly don't know where it will lead, or what it will amount to, but I invite you to share my journey.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

100 Mile Diet Day 1 | Spending Binge

Breakfast was horrible: under-cooked hominy with a little homemade yogurt from my friend, Gretchen. I sweetened the yogurt with sugar (which I decided would be one of my ten allowed trade items). The hominy had been cooked with a little salt -- another trade item.

Hungry, I went to the Detroit Lakes Farmer's Market where I spent $31.25 on produce. Then, we went to an Amish farm where I spent an additional $6. For $37.25, I ended up with six big bags of locally-grown vegetables and two watermelons. Although the items felt expensive when I was forking over the cash, in perspective I realized I would be thrilled to get this amount of stuff for under $40 at Whole Foods. This loot, combined with hominy and wild rice from Native Harvest, will serve as my primary sustenance this week.
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