Completed: Learn to label all the countries in Africa on a map

I realized there's really no excuse to not know these unless I, you know, don't try.

It took about a day - a couple hours total - to remember / recall them all.
Thank you to this game, this game, and this game.

I like being able to visualize places in the world when I hear their names. I also came to recognize countries I didn't even previously know, like Lesotho, Seychelles, and Djibouti, and discover that are some I've always been saying or spelling wrong, like Namibia and Angola. Now I want to learn more history.

Original goal list posted here

Progress #5: Go greener

Making and eco-wrapping gifts for my work fam. Did you know it was possible to wrap such pretty packages with repurposed paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, hemp string and fabric scraps?

Well, now you do! Know better, do better.


Original goal list posted here

Progress: #34. Try 10 different beading projects

4/10: Anatomical Heart Medicine Pouch

To be kept next to mine, daily, containing: a clipping of my cat's fur, sweetgrass, ceremonial tobacco, cedar, white sage, and a chevron amethyst that I tumbled myself.

I picked out the bead colours through studying my heart model. I think it went pretty well.

Original goal list posted here

Progress: #34. Try 10 different beading projects

3/10: Wolf Medicine Pouch

I have never been religious, though I suppose -- besides a mixed CD -- a medicine pouch is the most sacred thing I could give you. It is crafted to carry the four great medicines, plus anything you hold dear. Traditionally, it's meant to be worn daily for protection, close to the heart, either visibly or not. I wore my last -- the first I ever crafted -- until the strings broke, and then I tied what was left to my backpack, so that it would still be with me every day. I'm in the process of making another for myself.

This, though, is for my work friend Ali. Ali is, really, every kind of ally. She has gifted me many quirky and/or wonderful gifts that are really close to my heart. She has gifted me many valuable words and pieces of advice. She has gifted me tickets to see Tanya Talaga speak the truth, to the resounding appreciation of a standing ovation.

I gift her this medicine pouch, with ceremonial tobacco, cedar, sweetgrass, white sage + space for whatever else is sacred.

I gift this to Ali, because someone who would respect an indigenous adornment enough to worry that wearing it could be disrespectful understands that everything made by hand and through culture contains a special sort of symbolism.

I picked a wolf because she is resourceful and logical and independent, but fiercely protective of her pack.

(Ali, I personally give you permission to wear this if and whenever you want, p.s.)

Original goal list posted here

Completed: #18. Apply to secondment or a teacher-funded leave, further my education, or teach something new

I am applying for the position of Inclusive Education secondment faculty with York University's Faculty of Education. I have been preparing myself to apply for a secondment position since way back when I was a teacher candidate and learned that this was where many of my instructors came from.

Ergo, if I am unsuccessful, I will keep trying until I am there.

Regardless, I felt really accomplished crafting a detailed resume of 5-8 pages and putting all my experiences in one place.

Apologies for photo quality -- I had to convert file types twice, redact text, then save again. I think it is still readable, though definitely not the same quality as the original. Click each photo for original sizing.

Original goal list posted here

Progress: #5. Go greener

Today I went to the Toronto Tool Library Annual Gift Swap with my mom, where you bring giftable items you don't want and receive (eco)tickets in exchange for items you do. They also have DIY eco workshops and an eco gift wrapping station. It was so much fun and I'd definitely do it again.

Here's most of my haul, which includes a sunlight alarm I've been wanting forever, some brand new fuzzy socks, garden books and tools, incense, packaged oatmeal soaps, and wooden coasters for flower press decoupage.

I also found and had eco-wrapped (so cool) a gift for my beloved friend Steph -- so I'm going to move the gift I already had for next year's Christmas and give this one instead. (I also have your very belated birthday gift, pictured beside this one. See you soon?)

Original goal list posted here

Progress: 19. Get married

1. I'm madly excited to have booked and placed a down payment on an award-winning and badass makeup artist who works with cruelty-free and vegan products. She will travel to my house the morning of the wedding and do both my hair and makeup.

My requests for makeup are as follows: More dramatic than natural. I want a black liner cat-eye and colours in the range of golds / coppers / red-purple. Something like these:

For hair, nothing crazy. Nice curls / waves. Half up, half down. Something like these:

She said that these look great and she's excited. So am I!

2. I've been making my place cards of materials from my studio: cue cards (and cut scrapbooking paper when I run out), some old out of date business cards with my art, my hand-carved rubber heart stamp, and stamped names. My dad is going to help me carve stands of wood slabs (cut from my old Christmas tree) with slats. Eco wedding!

Anyway. They are looking pretty sweet.

1. Original goal list posted here

Completed: #17. Try calligraphy

I'm glad this doesn't say "try calligraphy successfully," because this was way too much math for me. Can't. Do.

Also my hands are so stained now. Like, for days. #weirdpenholdingprobs #weddingcrafts

I've decided to do my wedding place cards with rubber stamps instead and it is a pretty badass choice for the current aesthetic. More on that later!

Original goal list posted here

Progress # 5. Go greener

I had myself an eco little weekend.

I had planned to go grocery shopping, but thought better of it, and made meals of all my ingredients instead:

1. I made my favourite chickpea salad of Fresh City Farm celery, peppers, canned chickpeas, black pepper, and mustard, baby garlic dills, onions, my own dried dill, and my own aquafaba (bean water from the canned chickpeas) vegan mayo!

2. I made my famous party salsa, using cherry tomatoes (and basil!) grown in my Aerogarden, plus lots of other Fresh City Farm ingredients.

3. I roasted a mason jar of Peru-origin coffee beans. I went for medium, so I hope they don't turn out too sour. It has been awhile.

4. I made five Magic Bullet cups of soy milk, so I can aim to have a Vega shake every day this week. As my mom pointed out, I've been lacking.

5. I mixed the leftover soybean paste with oatmeal, chickpea flour, fair trade sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and coconut shreds to make dehydrator cookies. I also did a row of basil leaves to dry and put in my shaker.

6. I pre-selected two Bunz subway trade dates for the winter break and posted everything I haven't since the summer. I already have a trade arranged -- a shirt I don't love for a new bag of fair trade medium roast coffee beans I surely will. I always forget how much I love my Bunz life.

7. I'm still left with food ingredients enough to make a gluten-free vegan lemon loaf or dehydrator crackers and hummus, if my department ends up planning a Christmas potluck.

Original goal list posted here

Progress #5. Go greener

The trouble with Depression is that it will, without fail, creep in to tell you that the things you are doing -- even the good ones -- are not good enough.

Joining Zero Waste communities is, if you let it, a good way to feel bad about yourself. Of course, it will never be enough.

Therefore - having finally mastered in the past few days tasks that Depression deemed improbable for a week or more, such as showering and doing laundry and grocery shopping, the teacher in me has tried to focus on positives, areas for improvement, and next steps with regard to "going greener". It's realistic and it is tangible. It's where I'm at, and it's places to go.

+++

Positives

- I grow my own food and herbs in the summer, and continue to experiment with counterside veggies in my Aerogarden

- I make my own soymilk / almond milk in my wondrous SoyaBella, which reduces store packaging and production

- I do not shower excessively

- All year, biweekly, I order local food and Fresh produce from Fresh City Farms

- When not roasting my own beans, I do fair trade and low waste coffee. (Get yourself a pour over and a French press. You're welcome.)

- Via Saponetti, I am moving toward low package soaps/shampoos

-I reuse packaging (keep plastic containers for arts&crafts / bathroom&cosmetics, keep glass containers for pickling and milks, use plastic packaging for garbage/wet waste, Geoff uses our mailing boxes and packages for his eBay business, I save all gift packaging for future use)

- I use my Excalibur dehydrator for leftover milk pulps, turning almond and soy pulp into delicious granola and crackers

- I have consumed a vegan diet for 15 years, and a vegetarian diet for 5 years beforehand; this contributes very well to waste reduction

- I shop and use almost exclusively cruelty-free products (save for deodorant -- help?)

- I use Bunz to trade things I do not need for things I do

- I seed save from veggies I have grown

- I always use my reusable water bottle at work

- I do not shop at malls

- I went almost entirely digital with Writer's Craft course

- I save all coffee grounds for gardening in the summer

- Sometimes I make my own soaps

- I often cook from scratch (low to no packaging)

- - -

Areas for Improvement

- cruelty-free products (ie textiles) are often made with plastics (bad for the environment)

- I buy products from China (AliExpress)

- I sometimes buy products from Walmart

- I often drink bottled water at home

- I often use paper towel

- I sometimes throw things out that probably could be recycled

- I drive a long way to work (gas)

- my house rental is heated by oil
- fashion is the 2nd least eco-friendly industry and I have a lot of clothing

- sometimes order delivery, which is a lot of single use packaging

...

Next Steps

- continue to travel more often with coffee mug, reusable containers, bags

- buy a tap water filter and stop using bottled water

- buy less/no paper towel

- go as long as I can without buying anything material (non-essential): so far, so good

- go digital with ALL courses

- use Toronto recycling app if unsure of where something goes

- stop buying black plastic bags (I do not do this very often, but I won't ever at all in the future)

- use the things I have (craft supplies -- DIY) before buying anything else

- stop buying new clothes

- learn more about making my own products (soaps, shampoos, makeup, etc) and do that exclusively

- go back to Bunz for winter break

- buy hybrid/electric car for next purchase

- next house: no oil heating + fireplace

- take out less money over digital or card payment (Canadian cash isn't vegan or eco-friendly)


Any other tips? I'd be happy to hear.



Original goal list posted here

Completed: #22. Carve my own rubber stamps

Original goal list posted here

Progress: #5. Go greener

Resolved to not buy any new wrapping, this year or ever. 

This is 99% eco-wrapped from a Canadian Tire catalogue I never asked to show up on my doorstep.

The rest is: ribbons saved from gifts I've received, washi tape, reused hemp gardening twine, and some tags I bought a couple years back (I've decided to make new ones of old Christmas cards once these run out).


Original goal list posted here