c'mon in.... i don't bite. promise!
“Stoneheads” was the name of my grandparent’s home when i was a young girl. I didn’t realise it at the time (i thought they were dreadfully oldfashioned, in the way that the young leap to condemn the old) but they taught me so much about the way to live a sustainable life – they really were almost ahead of their time. Or perhaps just old-fashioned – they say sooner or later it all goes around. The new-found popularity of “the good life” would be testament to that.
my grandparent's home, as it used to be
Anyway, Stoneheads, although the house itself isn’t in the family any more (and the garden is now very different) its becoming more and more a concept, a symbol, if you like, for me, of what i’m trying to achieve. The whole title is testament, really, of my changing consciousness over the last year, of not only what i want (and don’t want) from life, but also changes in how i think. Becoming more and more aware that we, the human race, needs to change how we live if the world is to survive, or at least, a world that we can live in, and realising that that change is needed by people like us, even though we’re flat broke and unable to put in many of the changes that would be necessary to make a “carbon neutral” house.
part of the garden at the original stoneheads house
But this isn’t just another self-sufficiency blog; its also about me, my life. I want to share my progress, my triumphs, my failures, in all of my life, not just the green part, although that part is going to be pretty big I think.
So… who am I?
Michiel, Jess and myself, Christmas 05
I’m 36 years old, living with my partner and our dog, Jess (that’s them in the photo up there, yes, along with me) in a small groundfloor flat in Manchester. I don’t work – am unable to work and so am on disability benefits. I’m also deaf. My OH doesn’t work either at the moment, although he’s looking. We’re both technophiles – we have 3 computers in our living room! – although he’s more of a geek than i am. We share a love of sci-fi and fantasy, and have been together for over 5 years now.
Michiel and I - summer of 2003
As well as the self-sufficiency/green/environmental kick i’m currently on, i adore all kinds of food and cooking (and really growing food is an extension of that, isn’t it? and i’d love to get into the whole River Cottage thing too, keeping chickens and having bees, but its just not possible with the size of garden out there!), but also things like sewing and house improvement projects. I don’t claim to know it all, but starting small and working upwards is definetly the way to go.
I’ll probably add to this at some other point – this thing is only just getting started!
oh – and any questions – feel free to yell…
February 1, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Have you seen http://stonehead.wordpress.com/ this is one of my favourite blogs their croft is called stoneheads
February 1, 2007 at 8:49 pm
yup i had seen it, and bookmarked it, along with a bunch of others (including yours, yup! btw, you do know we have a friend in common? sarah?)..
thanks!
keth
xx
February 8, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Keth – just wanted to let you know that I think you have a really fantastic site here. I am so impressed with the layout and all your “to do” lists; along with the fact that you actually find the time to to the things on your list…
I’m going to spend a little longer browsing your site and then steal your ideas to plan some to do lists of my own (I do hope that you don’t mind and think of the “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” mantra rather than anything else).
Truely, you have inspired me and I hope that I can use this inspiration to motivate me to not only write (or re-write) my to do list, but to actually act upon it as well.
Take care
February 10, 2008 at 1:01 am
QOTD: Thankyou! I think i know you from MSE, although under a different nick, perhaps.. I read your blog almost every day as well, good luck with the induction, i hope she/he comes soon!
The to-do things.. they keep changing. Not the items on the list, the form of them. Sometimes i just write a list manually, sometimes i do actual “today” posts, they work for a while then i start procrastinating so i have to find other methods to make me keep doing things.. LOL. at the moment i’m working on – as you know – having monthly objectives rather than daily ones, the idea being that if i don’t get to something that day, then no harm done.
I don’t mind in the slightest (you borrowing my ideas – its always borrowing, by the way, not stealing *wink*).. go for it, if you find it useful then i’m happy!
by the way: do take it easy with your to do list, especially with the baby due any time..
*hugggggggss* and good luck, i’m thinking of you!
keth
xx
February 29, 2008 at 12:16 pm
September 4, 2009 at 9:36 am