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Certain things have taken their toll on me. As an eco activist, I have become accustomed to having my concerns for Earth and her creatures ridiculed as flaky, sappy, hippie, fluffy, not living in the real world. I’ve often seen people roll their eyes or sneer while I was speaking up about environmental concerns at church or a civic meeting.

At one point I noticed, “Wow, being a frequent target of low-grade condescension or outright contempt is stressful! It has taken its toll!”

I recommend everyone do the same. Recognize the things that have carved wounds inside your heart. Not to let them bring you down, but so you can engage in the appropriate self-care you need to persevere in your mission. Whatever your mission is, be it to eradicate racism, help your family and community weather tough economic times, save the planet for future generations, share your spiritual truth, or what have you.

Recognize your hurts, give them their due. It’ll help you stop beating yourself up for being “lazy”; “not doing enough”; etc. to fully, deeply take in the realization that certain things have just flat-out sapped your juice.

And once you’ve taken in that realization, get whatever help you need, be it through reading, a workshop, counseling, church or other spiritual community, solo hike or retreat, writing in a journal, plain old sitting and introspecting — whatever.

And then keep going with your good work! You know it’s good, regardless of what naysayers naysay, or haters hate. (Many haters are just recreational anyway. In the long run they don’t stand a chance against people who are actively working for the good. Not that it still doesn’t sting and demoralize a person to be on the receiving end of hatery.)

In my book DEEP GREEN, I have a chapter called “Get Your Mind In Order” that includes links to some books, courses, videos, and other resources that have been lifesavers for me, as an activist and as a being. (My book is now available free for anyone to read online here on this blog, as well as still being available in print form (contact me, or scroll down this page for the Buy Now button).

Self-care and planetary care are both necessary! Love yourself, love the planet.

LATER, same day: I just now had coffee with a friend, and he told me a story that ended up being relevant to this post. I was telling him about a “Hoarders”-level house-cleaning job I’m in the middle of. (Cleaning being one of the side-things I do to financially support myself to be able to be a full-time sustainability educator/activist. It pays well and I enjoy it.) I was telling my friend that the house was so packed with stuff, I didn’t even know how the residents (who now live in a nursing home) could even get to the bathroom or bedroom.

My friend told me that back in college, he’d keep his textbooks even after the semester was over because he hated the fact that he’d only be able to sell them at a fraction of the price he bought them for. He ended up with massive amounts of heavy books, which he carted around with him for a couple of moves til he wised up and realized it wasn’t worth the headache. So he went ahead and sold them or gave them away.

Where that story is relevant to this post is that some of us end up hanging on to our inner wounds in similar fashion. It’s as if we decide (probably not consciously), “I paid for those, dammit, and I’m going to keep them!”

Those inner scrapes and bangs might even hold some sort of self-righteous appeal, as a weapon we carry around in case we might need it. If you’ve ever done this (as I have in the past, before I learned how not to), you’ll know what I mean.

And now I say, “Those things are heavy! I don’t care how much I paid for ’em, I am happy to let them go for free right now!”

Emotional baggage can (and often does) end up adding to one’s financial overhead and eco-footprint in various ways. Free your mind; free the planet.

Further Exploration:

“Impressions“: One of my favorite talks about dealing with life’s wounds; how we have the power to heal them. The stories are sweet yet powerful. “What happens when things interact? What impressions are left behind? What kind of stories do we create to explain the impressions that life leaves? … The events of life leave tracks in our consciousness … This talk by Harry Palmer, the author of the Avatar® materials, was recorded live at the July 2009 International Avatar Course in Orlando, Florida. (length 33:00)”

No, this isn’t a post telling you how to dress. (If you’ve met me in real life, you can probably already guess that!) Rather, I’m setting out to share some ideas on creating a low-footprint wardrobe that works for your lifestyle and climate, and is a one-of-a-kind expression of your aesthetic sensibilities while costing little money.

Some tips, in no particular order:

If you design and sew your own clothes, hooray you! Your wardrobe is already one-of-a-kind. You can minimize its footprint by choosing easy-wash, easy-dry fabrics. If you can get your fabric from the remnants aisle, or at thrift stores, or if you can repurpose old fabric from other clothes, all the better — for your wallet and for the planet.

But most people I know don’t design and sew their own clothes, though a few do. (I’m mainly addressing a USA-based audience here.)

Myself, I know how to sew, but my forte is “editing” existing clothes rather than making from scratch. You can do this even if you don’t sew; it’s amazing what you can do with just scissors. That said, sewing is a great skill to have, and an enjoyable way to pass the time. Also: Hemming is pretty simple to get the hang of, and other than embroidery or other decorative stitching, hemming is pretty much the only sewing skill you really need for “editing” clothes to your liking.

Hems on your own clothes don’t need to be perfectly even; the stitching can be uneven lengths, a bit crooked. Your stuff doesn’t have to conform to industrial standards! In fact, there is even a DIY fashion movement that prizes obvious hand-stitching and other imperfections signaling handmade.

As it happens, I have a strong aesthetic preference for asymmetry and ragged edges. But if you prefer symmetry and straight hems, I am confident that you can attain your own standard. In the olden days, just about everyone sewed (even men, sometimes!). Or, you can pay someone in your community to do hems and other alterations for you. You might even be able to barter — but I find that local cottage-based stitchers charge shockingly low prices for their work. If I needed something symmetrical (pant hems etc.), I could probably get it done really well for about $12 — which is roughly just a little over my average hour’s wages. Well worth it to me to get pants hemmed in exchange for an average hour of my pay, if I had pants needing hems.

Repair or alteration can double as decoration. Appliqué, embroidery are easier than you might think, and they can greatly extend the life of your clothes while creating a one-of-a-kind garment. I once got a gorgeous red wool sweater from a thrift shop for $2. It had several moth holes in it but I concealed them by stitching on red hearts in a shiny fabric. The hearts were the same shade of red as the sweater, but the shiny aspect made for a pretty contrast.

Almost all my clothes come from thrift shops, or from friends getting rid of old clothes. I then “after-market” them by cutting off collars, trimming sleeves to my desired length, customizing skirt lengths, adding embroidery, crochet, or seam binding, and so on.

With a pair of scissors, any sweater or other pullover can instantly become a cardigan, tie-front top, etc. The reverse is true too: You can easily convert a cardigan into a pullover by stitching the front together.

I notice that my wardrobe is determined mainly by 1) the hot humid climate I live in; 2) my active outdoorsy lifestyle; 3) ease of care (easy to wash by hand, quick to dry on the line); 4) what feels both cute and comfortable (for me, that tends to be stretchy clothes such as leggings, stretch skirts, tank tops; for you it might be something else). Also 5) I don’t want to have to think very hard to get dressed. For me, what works is having very few clothes. A sort of uniform, with a bit of variation. A few tank tops, a few skirts, a couple of long-sleeved tops, a couple of wool sweaters, a couple pairs of stretchy leggings.

You might find it helpful to run through that list of variables and see what your own answers are. Another variable for you might be, How much do you need to shield your skin from sun or wind?

The more time you spend outdoors or in non-climate-controlled indoor settings, the more urgent it becomes to have a wardrobe that’s really suited to your climate, and to your physical constitution (are you hot-natured, or do you get cold easily? etc.).

Warning! Nowadays, some clothes that seem to be designed for hot weather are made of fabrics that are NOT hot-weather-friendly. The first time I saw nylon sundresses for sale at a local shop, I was struck speechless.

Old-school summer fabrics such as gauze and seersucker are great for hot-weather clothes. I find a lot of good summerweight garments at thrift shops. Use as-is, or edit.

T-shirts are another good source of fabric. Note: Even within the category of 100% cotton, there is much variation in fabric weight. The difference between thicker and thinner fabrics can determine if a garment will be breathable or stifling on a hot day. BTW old t-shirts can be made into sleeveless tops or even skirts with little or no stitching. (Without the top 6 inches or so which includes the sleeves and collar, an old t-shirt becomes a tube-shaped garment which can be made into a skirt or haramaki.) Conversely, a thicker t-shirt might allow a person to go without a bra. Finally: Avoid buying t-shirts new. There are so many feral t-shirts out there in need of good homes!

For both extremely hot and extremely cold weather, the new “high-tech” fabrics used by the sport-clothes industry to make clothes for cycling, hiking, etc., can be great. Naturally, clothes made with these fabrics tend to be expensive. But a few key pieces such as a sweat-wicking tank top can be worth the investment. Also, I sometimes find used high-tech athletic shirts and other clothes for sale at thrift shops.

Don’t buy thread, fabric, needles, lace, embroidery floss, seam tape, buttons, or other supplies new without checking around first. Someone right in your neighborhood probably has an overflowing sewing-basket (or a whole room), and would be happy to part with supplies for cheap or free. You can trust me on this: I am that person with that supply closet! And there are many many others like me. many of us are storing supplies accumulated by multiple generations of women, and no matter how much we might love doing needlework, we have no hope of using up these supplies in our lifetime. Post a notice on NextDoor or your neighborhood Facebook page or whatever, saying what you need.

Not only supplies, but also possibly instruction, is available for cheap or free. YouTube is a treasure trove. Or ask that neighbor with a garage-full of supplies if she’d be willing to teach you a few things for cash or barter. I must confess, I find most sewing instructional vids off-putting because they are very precise and can involve many exacting steps because they’re doing it the “official” way. You might enjoy that aspect though!

To add variety, I have a couple dozen pairs of earrings and a few neck scarves. And a few hats. Easy to add to any outfit.

I’ve lived and worked mainly in hot humid climates, but have lived in places with cold winters as well. The one constant I’ve noticed, whether in hot or cold weather, is that layering seems to work best . So even if I go north to visit my family in the winter, I don’t need a special “winter coat.” I just layer an old nylon jacket over other layers of clothes. (Obviously if I were living in Minnesota or something, I’d probably have to have more dedicated “winter clothes.”) Anyway, one of my main bits of advice if you want a more comfortable, versatile, practical wardrobe is: LAYERS! And tank tops are a great inner layer in all climates.

In the past, I have had separate clothes for different categories: gardening and other outdoor chores; exercising; everyday; and “dress-up.” But in recent years, I find that the categories have for the most part become merged. Skirts are actually great for gardening and other chores; I find them more comfortable than pants.

In some climates, trousers might be essential. I will never forget the week I spent at a beautiful eco-village in North Carolina back in 2005 for a bioregional congress. It was July, and my good ol’ trusty black tights were ZERO protection against chigger bites. I needed sturdy non-stretch pants, with high boots. At the end of the trip I had about 100 bites on each leg! I was miserable for weeks afterward!

I’m not the only one: A lot of women I know who are into permaculture, farming, or other outdoorsy occupations wear skirts, sarongs, etc. even when doing manual labor.

It reminds me of photos I’ve seen of women in India, East Asia, Africa, looking very elegant yet comfortable as they go about their work in their saris, sarongs, or other traditional garments. Someone on Facebook posted a series of photos of mothers from around the world carrying their babies as they work. Let’s see if I can post the link here. Here you go. Hope it works!

And: You can see photos of me in a couple of my main outfits in this post on my Deep Green Facebook page.

One distinctive feature of my wardrobe that has emerged in recent months is very short tops worn over a longer top. I started this when I could no longer bear the feeling of any kind of bra against my ribcage in our hot ultra-humid climate, yet wanted an extra layer of fabric over my breasts. I would be so happy if it became a bit more “mainstream legit” to go braless if one chose, and I sometimes do that, but I often feel a bit self-conscious, like I’m “flashing” people. (Then again, guys have nipples too, right? Some even have boobs. And yet they don’t feel compelled to wear bras. Ah, social norms!) Anyway: The cropped outer top gives me that extra layer without the sweaty, pinched skin around the ribcage.

So: Wardrobe-wise, what’s working for you? What isn’t? Is there a garment you wish someone would invent? Or one that you wish did not exist?

Further Reading:

A Prescription for How to Begin Slow-Stitching (Mark Lipinski). “If you’re feeling creatively bare, mojo melancholy, and inspirationally barren, you need to find an antidote – and fast! For creative types like us, being in a visionary funky-dunk can feel lethal and lead to burn out, over eating, compulsive shopping, a mild depression, a messy house, anxiety, crankiness and more. Boosting your creativity, pumping up your brain power, and finding your creative self again is key to kick starting and maintaining our healthy and balanced lives. …Purposeful and focused immersion while stitching or craft making is like a fascinating elixir that benefits us in physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual ways. It gives us a brand new way of looking at our work and how we approach the world in general.”

The Life-Changing Magic of Slow Sewing (Leslie Rutland, seasonedhomemaker.com). “There really is something magical about working with your hands which is why I titled this post The Life-Changing Magic of Slow Sewing. Being able to slowly create something with my hands seems to alter time a little. It takes me from multi-tasking down to doing just one simple task. When I’m in this place I can feel myself breathe.” Bonus: This article includes an embedded video “The Quilts of Gees Bend.” In Rutland’s words, “Have you heard of the quilters from Gees Bend, Alabama? You could say they wrote the book on slow sewing. You will have to watch this video because there.are.no.words.”

Sashiko: What “visible mending” means to crafters (vox.com): “Instead of hiding rips and tears, the visible mending movement turns them into art. Born from the Japanese art of sashiko, visible mending enables crafters to eschew fast fashion and make mistakes beautiful.”

Today I bring you two opinion pieces which I just now read in the New York Times, and which I feel are very important bellwethers of our economic and social climate in the USA (which in turn affects the worldwide zeitgeist).

One: “The Shrinking of the American Mind,” by Roger Cohen. “Among the words or phrases that were never spoken in the two presidential debates were: Syria, human rights, drones, democracy, inequality, dictatorship, Israel, Palestine, Middle East, United Nations, World Health Organization, Guantánamo, European Union, Britain, Brexit, France, Italy, Hong Kong, Africa (or any single African state), South America, terrorism, multilateral, authoritarianism, alliance. That’s a pretty good measure of the shrinking of the American mind. …”

Two: “The Radicalization of a Small American Town,” by Brian Groh. “In my more charitable moments, I can see my neighbors’ xenophobia and racism … as symptoms of alienation from people who feel forsaken and disdained. This is, perhaps, the part of me that still feels deeply connected to where I live. But I’ve been appalled by the ugliness I’ve seen here this past year. And more often, in the dwindling autumn light, I find myself staring at my grandparents’ old farmhouse and wondering if it’s finally time to pack my bags. …”

Both pieces are brief and incisive. Hope you will appreciate them as much as I did! Truth, even when it’s not rosy, can be a refreshing tonic.

As the benchmark of “normal” becomes more and more extreme, then any attempt to move it back in the direction of common sense (or even just to question it at all) gets met with ridicule, suspicion, contempt, or worse.

I’m thinking of the sod-grass landscaping hegemony but it applies to many other things as well. Such as the single-use-packaging norm. And extreme palm-tree pruning, which is the landscaping fad in Florida — taking away street shade, robbing habitat from bats and other wildlife. Question that, and you’re just a weirdo.

Note: My advice is, persevere, brave ones! We’ll know we’re making progress when the mainstream norms no longer define concern for plants and animals and ecosystems as some sort of fringe, sappy, impractical thing.

What examples have you noticed around you, of being considered crazy or extreme when you question an accepted norm that is itself crazy and extreme?

Erika Hardison of Reviewed.com offers “10 ways to make it fun for kids at home” on Halloween. (The tips are good for adults too, if you’re like me and enjoy Halloween.)

I like the idea of making homemade treats to eat at home. (In fact, in past years I’ve thought of reducing single-use plastic trash by giving out homemade candy. But I’ve never ended up doing that, and I’m not sure how it’d go over in a pandemic world.)

I particularly like this tip about kids’ costumes: “No need to spend a lot of money on costumes for your growing kids when you can just make a fun outfit that can double as their everyday clothes. Primary is the source for all trendy, genderneutral clothes for infants, toddlers, big kids and adults. You can turn regular clothes into funny pop culture references. The best part is that these Halloween outfits can also be part of your kid’s wardrobe after Halloween which means you will save money.”

The tip about an indoor scavenger hunt for candy is another fun one, if you’ve got family or housemates living with you.

My Halloween plans this year will probably involve a large bowl of wrapped candy (though I don’t like the plastic trash) which I will put out on a table at the bottom of the driveway for people to help themselves. I’ve thought of scooping loose unwrapped candy into little paper bags; that might be a greener choice than the plastic-wrapped stuff.

I may also invite neighbors to stop by for social-distance cocktails, but probably not. For sure, a friend and I are going to sit in the “outdoor living room” (my driveway, which is furnished with outdoor furniture and potted plants — benefit of car-free life!) and watch the Madea Halloween movie on a portable DVD player.

Do you celebrate Halloween? What are some of your favorite tips for having fun while saving money, minimizing environmental impacts, and safeguarding public health?

Finally, I want to express my appreciation to my local paper, the Daytona Beach News-Journal, for running the article mentioned above. As well as many other articles I’ve referenced on this blog. I consider the News-Journal pretty darn good as local papers go. I particularly appreciate their climate-related coverage.

(Another article in today’s News-Journal talks about an alternative approach to “school picture day.” Some schools are doing it the old way but with hand sanitizer and all that. But some schools offering online learning are now letting kids take their own selfies at home and upload them to the photo company. Sounds kinda cool! I tended to dread picture day as a kid, but if home selfies had existed, I might have enjoyed it more. As well as being potentially more fun and convenient, and eliminating the public-health risk, it could be more eco-friendly since presumably you cut out the need for a bunch of hand-sanitizer and other stuff.)

I’m pretty sure I’ve covered this topic here before, but it bears repeating. People (especially here in Florida) seem to be excessively fearful of plants “taking over” their yards. Even gardeners express this fear. Even permaculture gardeners express this fear. It strikes me almost like a feeling of revulsion for the success of a life form other than humans.

In response to yet another “that plant will TAKE OVER” thread on one of the many gardening-related forums I belong to, I posted the following comment. And was happy to see it get over 30 “Likes” so far. Glad it has struck a chord!

“I am grateful for plants that are super robust. One day we may be thankful for them. They may become the only thing holding the soil down; the only thing keeping us from turning into full-on desert as drought-flood extremes continue to accelerate.

“Super vigorous plants are my best buddies. Mineral-harvesters. Chop & drop material for biomass. Flood mitigation; stormwater runoff prevention. Allow us to make our soil a sponge for anti-desertification and firebreak.

“I wonder how many plants, animals, and other creatures, if they could speak, would be saying about us humans, ‘Get rid of them all now! They take over! They’ll overrun you!'”

In Part 1, I linked an article that lets you find out where your county ranks in terms of climate-related threat. (USA only; my apologies to readers elsewhere but maybe something similar has been done for other parts of the world.)

In Part 2, I offered some pointers to guide you in your planning.

In this post, I’ll wrap it up with some more bullet points, and a link to another helpful article for you to read.

• Really, this whole entire website of mine is about “making your plans for climate change.” A low-footprint lifestyle doubles as climate-change adaptation training and household/community preparedness all in one.

• Some bullet points may overlap; this is a big subject to wrap our brains around, and I’m trying to make it digestible and actionable by presenting it from different angles and different magnitudes of viewing.

• The article that inspired this post seems to be looking at a time horizon of 20 to 40 years. But I sense these kinds of changes in a more immediate future; I’m looking at more like 5 to 10 years. Residents of California, Colorado, and other western states; or coastal Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states that are already seeing significant changes, might want to really consider either moving to another part of the country, or staying and taking more of a leadership role: boosting your land-based skills such as gardening, ecosystem restoration, fire-mitigating landscaping. If you can’t breathe the air where you live, it’s time to take a serious look at making some shifts.

• I see personal planning for climate change as falling into two broad categories. One category is steps you take to make yourself, your household, your community more flexible, adaptable, resilient, anti-fragile in the face of whatever the future brings. The other category is steps you take to change your lifestyle in such a manner as to help shift society in a direction that will (possibly) avert some of the most severe consequences of climate change, increasing the likelihood that you, your children, grandchildren and future generations will continue to be able to live life on this planet. Not only survive, but live a life worth living.

• There are no guarantees anything we do will work. We’ve painted ourselves into quite a corner. But we have to try.

• Pick an old-school skill you’ve been interested in, and get good at it, if you don’t have one already. Gardening, carpentry with hand tools, sewing, mending, small-engine repair, knife-sharpening, bicycle repair, animal husbandry, hunting, fishing, cooking, canning, herbal medicine, field medicine, and so on. Nursing, child care, elder care, mental-health services, teaching, writing, food/beverage service — the form of these occupations may change, but I doubt any of them are going away. Occupations like art, music, and storytelling may even come to be more in demand, as traveling and spending money on mass “entertainment” becomes less of an option. However you earn money right now, see if you can become location-independent so you can make a livelihood anywhere.

• When doing your planning, try to override the very strong primal instinct to focus on just your, or your immediate family’s, own safety and wellbeing. Too much self-focus feeds fear and selfishness, and leads to reactivity and mistakes, which end up hurting you as well as others. If you can focus on the wider good, concern for your community, your region, the wellbeing of many others — you’ll be able to stay calmer and will make sounder choices; you’ll be much better off. And not coincidentally, if you focus beyond just yourself and your immediate family you’ll be happier.

• If you live in one of the top threat areas like the Gulf Coast, parts of the Atlantic coast, and so on, you might well be experiencing cognitive dissonance, as so much “business as usual” keeps moving forward in the face of obvious changes in weather patterns and such. Hotels keep getting built on the coast; billion-dollar superhighways keep getting planned as if nothing is amiss. Recognize that large companies and governments are living in a different frame of reality, different timelines, different incentives. Use your own common sense; read and listen to information sources you trust; keep your own senses tuned to your environment. Just because yet another fancy new housing development is getting built in your county, and just because your state highway department is talking about 40-year transportation plans still, doesn’t mean you can assume everything’s hunky-dory and you don’t need to look at making any changes.

• And on a more micro level: Try not to make plans that are predicated on the continued availability of high-energy-input goods and services (such as air travel, or 401(k)s and other retirement funds). I’m not suggesting you need to go cold turkey, but it’s best not to assume such things are going to be an option into the indefinite future. I know it can be hard not to assume the continuation of “business as usual” when everyone else seems to be just going along as if they don’t expect any change in our default way of life. But it is in your best interest to think ahead. Use your own common sense, and don’t let the craziness around you color your judgment.

• If at all possible, secure a house and/or land mortgage-free. Go in with friends and family to buy a place free and clear. I could be mistaken (will have to research this further), but my understanding is that a homesteaded property can’t be taken away from you as payment should you become unable to repay debts such as medical bills or student loans.

• Even if you live in (or plan on moving to) an area that’s expected to be relatively unaffected, plan for extremes. Unseasonably hot AND unseasonably cold weather; drought alternating with heavy rains. And more wildfires everywhere. (At least some expert predictions corroborate my feeling on the droughts and wildfires.) The basic cure to mitigate all of these extremes is vegetation. Tall grasses, shrubs, trees. Plant them. Get them established so they create a moist micro-climate that is self-reinforcing. You may need to remediate the soil first by adding organic matter. I cover these topics and share relevant links elsewhere on this blog. If you can’t find them give me a shout; I will help you.

• Good news! Everything you do in the way of climate-change planning can also help you right here, right now with all of the following: Dealing with Covid and other pandemics. Weathering economic crashes (personal and global). Getting more freedom to pursue your right livelihood, the junction where your skills and passions intersect with the needs of your community and the world. Freeing up your attention and creativity. Reducing loneliness and isolation; building community. Curing boredom and a sense of purposelessness. Improving your relationships with loved ones. Freeing up your time and energy. Improving your physical and mental health. Contributing to your spiritual growth. Facilitating the evolution of consciousness. Wow! What a list!

• I am here for you! I am now offering climate-change planning as a service, free to anyone who wants it. (I will strive to avoid living up to the cliché of “free advice is worth what you pay for it.”) And I will add more bullet points to this post as they come to me.

In closing, here is a great article for you to read. Ancient agricultural systems (some still in use today) embody the kind of mind-set we would do well to embrace, not just in our food-growing but in all of our landscaping, land stewardship. Ancient Gardens of North America (by Jonathon Engels at permaculturenews.org ). I can help you translate the concepts herein to your own geographic region. And can help you apply them to your yard, balcony, or common area.