Thursday 20 June 2019

Cape And Tiara


On Monday i donned my cape and tiara, became a superhero for a week and saved the world.   Noticing my stock pile of loo roll and kitchen roll was severely depleted i ordered a bulk batch from Traidcraft.  What's Traidcraft i hear you ask.  It's a UK charity that works overseas to fight poverty through trade and they are building a nice range of household items.  Recycled, fair trade, Tyneside based what's not to like.  I considered recycling the old toilet roll but until the politicians turn us all into serfs again it's definitely a step too far.
On Tuesday I saved the world.   Fair Trade, organic coffee, tea, sugar and cocoa.   guilt free beverages that nurture the soul as well as give a caffeine boost provide the best start to a day.   Saving the world is hard work you know, a girl needs all the invigoration she can imbibe to bear the burden of that cape on her shoulders and don't let anyone tell you a cosmic tiara is lightweight.  It's not martyrdom unless it hurts.
On Wednesday i saved the world.   Had a huge rag rug that was past it's sell by date, not good enough condition to sell pre-loved or put in charity shop but with a lot of wear still around the edges and nowhere near manky enough to add to our landfill mountain.  It's been sitting in my airing cupboard since being given a new one for Christmas two years ago.  Advertised it on a freebie selling page and a lovely girly who has moved into her first home and has nothing to soften the hard edges staggered off into the night with said rug rolled under her arm. Warm tootsies for her tonight.   I remember stepping out of bed onto bare boards, splinters in toes, not fun.
On Thursday i saved the world.   Been feeling guilty for some time about all the paper going into my recycle bin but not quite ready to give up the tactile joy of newsprint and move to internet news. There's something satisfying about starting the day with breakfast in bed and a copy of The Guardian.  I don't know if it's seven decades of book browsing but information on a screen doesn't seem to adhere to the brain cells permanently, it's as though the fingers are synaptically  attached to the mind so the act of holding a newspaper reinforces the memory. Do you think i have evolved eyes on the tips of the phalanges as part of my super hero outfit?   Whilst browsing the freebie page an advert caught the eye from a lady wanting newspaper for her wood burning stove so my weekly paper output will be heading her way.  OK its only half saving the world as her fire increases pollution but half is better than none.
On Friday i saved the world.   Planted tomatoes for salads and sarnies  then sowed wild flowers for the bee's and butterflies, organic bug spray and feed naturally.  Thank you Ruth for all your help, will post some toms when they grow.  As garnish a dear friend gave me a grow your own edible flower kit for Christmas, nasturtiums, cornflower and viola. A superhero needs a healthy diet, all that nobility is energy intensive.
On Saturday i saved the world.   Have started buying from the fresh counters in supermarket.   Bread and fish wrapped in paper,  veg and fruit in compostable bags, fabric carriers to lug it all home and everything lying loose in the trolley.    Plastic is kryptonite to  the sustainable, super hero shopper, impossible to avoid but possible to minimise. 

On Sunday....... i became unsustainability incarnate, destroyer of worlds, sweat shop enabler, air mile guzzler, habitat wrecker, biodiversity burner.   My tiara slipped over one eye and slid down the nose, that glorious cape of pomposity ceased billowing and dragged it's hem through the mire.     What was the catalyst for this plummet into ecological degradation ???  a gorgeous duvet cover in China, made with inorganic cotton which was most likely harvested by underage, underpaid pickers, printed with radioactively vibrant colours that are definitely not natural, shipped or flown from the orient to be handled by zero hour workers in an Amazon warehouse.  Why is saving the world  SO  HARD ???? !!!!




11 comments:

Barbara Featherstone said...

Oh Jeni that is so me. Can I add I refused to buy shollots because they come from Australia then get home and discover I put the wron apples back on the shelf so have ones from the USA

Linden said...

Class. So true. We try don't we but we are really up against it. The capitalistic machine feels bigger than us all. We are so conditioned to materialistic goals that we fail to see the damage. The throw away fashion... of which my life's work is guilty. Why am i using the worlds precious resources to produce trinkets that are actually of no use or value other than to flatter ourselves? It has been my living for which I am obviously grateful but on reflection seems pointless. My saving grace I suppose is that the farm I have acquired as a result is environmentally friendly and hopefully going some small way to saving the birds and the bees. I look at the pollution/the plastic/the cruelty/the poverty/the destruction, and wonder just what on earth have we done?

Caron said...

Brilliant !

Sarah Collymore said...

Great read Jeni xx Hope you are well x

carina said...

Every little helps - well done you

Sue said...

Excellent read, keep going with your goodness.
Every little helps xxx

Val said...

I think after saving the world for six days you definitely deserve a little bit of luxury

Angie Lucas said...

Just loved this Jenni, such a light touch with a sense of justice and humour ! xxxx

Kathy said...

Love it! Well done for all that world-saving!

That's the theme of our churches' holiday club this time. I'm excited at the thought of helping children get ideas about how they can help save God's world, while they are still young enough not to have got into too many bad habits, and while they are not too proud to admit they need to do it, and with God's help as well.

caron said...

Just been reading blog again. I really love that one about saving the world. It's not only fun to read but it makes me want to DO something

Steph said...

Just had time to sit down and read through your blog, it's brill !!! really made me laugh and think, we have been trying to do our bit this week after watching a programme on plastics, not easy as you know ! Thanks for sharing your blog Jeni it cheered my day xxx