Monday, June 25, 2012

PCS Prep 1.0

Preparing for PCSing! ( Permanent Change of Duty Station) My husband has his initial orders before he heads off to retrain in a different MOS ( Military Occupational Specialty) aka my husbands "job". So yesterday we began working on the office.

Previously during my spring cleaning I did shred a good amount of old paperwork, but it still wasn't all of it! So we spent our evening going through paperwork and shredding. I also packed up all  of my fabric and sewing supplies. A few things of "art supplies" were packed as well. So far nine containers have been filled and labeled.

I always prepare a bit early when it comes to moving. It makes it go smoother; there is nothing worse than trying to scramble at the last minute when moving! Especially for PCSing! It involves a lot of extra's and good planning on my part- the hubs will have things to do for the Army-paperwork stuff,etc. So I like to get some of the other stuff like packing, cleaning, etc all in order.

The military is pretty awesome though! They provide a good check list and other resources I can utilize.... well anyway! That is what the Vorpahl fam is up to at the moment.

Jimmy had leave so we have been enjoying a nice relaxing time together before things get hectic.

Over and out

~Lexxy~

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Lexxy Life Bits and Thoughts

Well this just sucks!!!! My camera is broken! So no recording any video tutorials for me! I suppose I can do pictures with my phone, but the quality just won't be the same what to do!!!! I suppose I will figure out something right? Gah so upset though! I love crafting and love to share it with other people. It is funny I wasn't a big crafter until recently. It seems a rarity to find those who crochet, knit, make jewelry sew clothes,(etc) but maybe I am wrong? 

At least in my experience/meeting of new people/ friends. I have yet to find a group who solely wants to spend their day doing at least one ( or two or three) crafty things. My day is not complete unless I do something like draw, crochet, make jewelry ( SPEAKING of which, I just made a few earrings- my first- they are in my Etsy shop). There have been nights where I couldn't sleep until I crocheted ha ha ha ha!

Anyway- currently working on crochet in the round- I made a small ball for my cat and then decided to attempt a pattern from Lion Brand- which so far is not going well- it is suppose to be a round afghan and it is more like a ruffled piece of crap! I did get some good ideas from a friend though! So I am going to go ahead and give it a try. I will be attempting to make it into a funky hat- at the end I am thinking of doing the Tunisian simple stitch to create a different looking rim.( wish me luck!)

ANYWAY... so switching thoughts here... I find myself thinking a lot about what it would be like to live very primal. The Primal Parent Blog actually covered this similar topic. ( loved her post- read it here-could-you-really-live-the-primal-life) my thoughts went to the cleaning aspect- I am pretty OCD I know it, I own up to it, and frankly I think being OCD is fine ( to an extent of course- OCD-ness in a healthy way ... ha ha ha...as long as your not letting it completely control your life hey I say have those moments where you slather on the hand sanitizer after using a public bathroom is A- OK!) SO of course I was thinking how does one keep things clean in a primal setting?

I suppose it all comes down to natural disinfectants and cleaning things properly to begin with- just need to do some more research on that subject ( or stock up on tea tree oil lol). I wonder what it would be like? No running water, no electricity, no video games! ( gasp). I have made it a point to turn off electronics and just sit outside on the balcony/ take care of my mini garden/ oasis or do something crafty. I have to admit the silence can be deafening.

I think it may take some getting use to and I want to. I want to know what it is like to live somewhat primal. My biggest issue is running water.. I love my showers... could I really give up hot showers? Could I give my video games- seriously biggest issue would be video games. I hardly watch TV ( I have Netflix- no cable- don't want it) So I am sure I wouldn't miss that... then I got to thinking- how convenient it is to go and buy yarn, fabric, etc.

So would I be able to give up those video games, the convenience of grocery stores/ farmer's markets/ crafting supplies/ and hot showers. I am not sure! I am quite sure it is a pain to create your own fabric ( how does one even do that by the way!) or how much time would a person have to spend creating  balls of yarn from wool.. the very thought just gets me thinking.. am I  a bit lazy/ perhaps spoiled by modern society?

Seriously think about! How many people have gardens that feed their whole family? What about hunting? Making clothes/ blankets and most of all I think about the hardships of women... I may use cloth pads, but imagine living out in the middle of a forest and dealing with the monthly.. Or giving birth without a midwife. I know people have unassisted births, but it is not the same really- you still have the back up of going to the hospital if something goes wrong.

Life would be hard I have to admit. Maybe if I grew up living that life I wouldn't notice, but I am sure that walking away from this world as I know it would be hard ( hey I love my food processor).
I am taking baby steps though to embracing more of a self sustained lifestyle. It is my main reason for really getting into crafts. I want to make my own soap, clothes, etc. 

I suppose I may not be able to live in a cabin deep in the woods. I may not give up video games, but I can still do something that feels like the right thing to do. Less waste/ consumerism and more self sustained. I believe in being self efficient and trying to curb my impact on the earth. Humans are destroyers, lol, yes I know it sounds terrible Yet it is true. We use and use- but what do we replenish? What do we give back to the Earth? Landfills, oil spills, waste, and the destruction of other species- this cannot be the way can it people?

Maybe this is why I seek a simple life, a semi-primal life- to preserve our planets beauty/ life. I may be one person, but all it takes is one person making the difference. Hopefully others will follow.