We are sentient beings - we are able to think. Therefore we can make choices. How we exercise that choice & what the issues are is very important.
At a mundane level, we chose what food to buy & how to feed ourselves, our friends, & our families. Rarely, if we are honest, do we think about the impact of those choices on other people or eco-systems. I go round Tesco's or Sainsbury's with a list of what I know I need for the coming days. I'm aware of husbandry & sustainability issues. They are at the back of my mind, so I try to avoid unsustainable fish for example. But I usually buy what my next meals require. I am lucky. I have a choice because I can afford to buy what I need & even what I fancy. It seems very wrong therefore, that there are now a substantial number of people who can't do that simple thing. Their low income robs them of choice. They have to eat unhealthy, cheap, food. Here, in the UK today. Never mind about the lack of choice, for a whole variety of reasons, in the developing world.
Similarly I can chose what I want to wear. I could, if I could be bothered, spend a fortune on new clothes, not to mention matching accessories. In fact I estimate that, apart from underwear & shoes, I could dress myself till I drop dead with what's in my wardrobe at this very minute. I am aware that cheap / child labour provides the developed world with ridiculously cheap clothing.The fashion industry has thrived on that premise for years & many of us are slaves to continuously changing fashion trends. A lot of high street fashion changes ranges every 6 - 8 weeks. There are almost continuous sales. We let them persuade us that we need to keep changing our look, our image. When & why did we suddenly need an "image"? We no longer just wear clothes to cover us, or keep warm / dry.
Even the decor of our homes has "built in obsolescence". A kitchen or bathroom is not expected to last 10 years. People change their furniture on a whim. Nothing is expected to last. There is no longer any craftsmanship left in the western world. Everything is machine made. There are probably dozens of choices for everything in your rooms now. When we are fed up we buy something to make us feel better. We can't face up to changing ourselves, so we chose to change our environment, if we can afford it.
"You don't get owt for nowt" as my dad used to say. Unless, that is, someone else is paying a price for your cheap goods. We should at least think about the choices we make.
Sunday 28 July 2013
Tuesday 23 July 2013
Unto us a boy is born, king of all Creation.
I am very happy for William & Kate & all their family & friends. It is always wonderful when a healthy child is born & the mother doesn't suffer any complications. All of us who have been through the same experience know first hand what it feels like & can empathise with the joy & excitement. So we are truly delighted for them all.
But, by a quirk of fate, this child is born into a life of unimaginable wealth & social position. He will inherit & become a king, head of a commonwealth & leader of the church - if nothing changes. That's the sticking point for me. Inherited wealth means inherited power & privilege, regardless of any personal traits, gifts, expertise or experience. It simply isn't logical or fair. What we achieve in life should be a result of the natural gifts we are born with & our own effort and commitment to make something of those gifts. (Still on a biblical theme, see the parable of the talents).
I don't envy any of the royals. It isn't a life I aspire to or could tolerate. I imagine, because I can't know, they sometimes wish that they had not been born into this family. It certainly isn't "normal" family life in any sense of the word. The young royals are to be commended for their efforts to be as "normal" as possible given the constraints. There must be pluses & minuses to a priveleged life continuously led under the microscope of press & media.
Speaking of which - I am already heartily sick of the whole sorry, feeding frenzy, circus. Just how many times must we listen to the same inane, repetitive, comment & speculation, based on precious little information? Can't someone dare to say "enough!" Can't someone credit us with a reasonable amount of intelligence & understanding? Is this news really so important in the context of world events that it has to obliterate everything else? The news media seem completely unable to see the line between informing us of the facts & spewing out garbage that simply alienates many.
Has nothing been learned from the life and death of Princess Diana - apparently not! If the press & media continue in this way there is a danger history will repeat itself. There are already too many parallells. Personally I don't believe that Jesus was the son of God, but I do believe he existed & look what happened to him!
But, by a quirk of fate, this child is born into a life of unimaginable wealth & social position. He will inherit & become a king, head of a commonwealth & leader of the church - if nothing changes. That's the sticking point for me. Inherited wealth means inherited power & privilege, regardless of any personal traits, gifts, expertise or experience. It simply isn't logical or fair. What we achieve in life should be a result of the natural gifts we are born with & our own effort and commitment to make something of those gifts. (Still on a biblical theme, see the parable of the talents).
I don't envy any of the royals. It isn't a life I aspire to or could tolerate. I imagine, because I can't know, they sometimes wish that they had not been born into this family. It certainly isn't "normal" family life in any sense of the word. The young royals are to be commended for their efforts to be as "normal" as possible given the constraints. There must be pluses & minuses to a priveleged life continuously led under the microscope of press & media.
Speaking of which - I am already heartily sick of the whole sorry, feeding frenzy, circus. Just how many times must we listen to the same inane, repetitive, comment & speculation, based on precious little information? Can't someone dare to say "enough!" Can't someone credit us with a reasonable amount of intelligence & understanding? Is this news really so important in the context of world events that it has to obliterate everything else? The news media seem completely unable to see the line between informing us of the facts & spewing out garbage that simply alienates many.
Has nothing been learned from the life and death of Princess Diana - apparently not! If the press & media continue in this way there is a danger history will repeat itself. There are already too many parallells. Personally I don't believe that Jesus was the son of God, but I do believe he existed & look what happened to him!
Friday 19 July 2013
Transition Stroud - Hawkwood College
Steve R has just been to check out all my tools for TfSR - http://www.tfsr.org It was really great to meet someone who is so committed to the whole self reliance / eco philosophy. Like most volunteers I've met, he gives up a lot of his time but really enjoys what he does. I'm delighted that he is keen to have all the tools, shelving, workbenches etc etc my lovely husband amassed despite loathing DIY.
Dave spent huge amounts of time chopping wood for a wood burner he never got round to buying. I did though, a year after he died. I couldn't bear to think that all his effort was wasted & I benefited every winter from all that effort. So, I'm really pleased that the Transition group may also want some of the wood. It's really nice that my daughter & a good friend will benefit too.
Interestingly there is a whole network of spin offs from the TfSR ethic. So Steve runs courses for people in simple building / DIY skills at Hawkwood College. The group also do maintenance etc for each other, under his professional eye, to develop their skill base. I wish I'd known that after Dave died - it would have saved me a lot of stress. What a simple & effective idea though. I really like the whole community, self help ethos. It's a shame that positive initiatives like this don't get more publicity, while negative news often smothers the front pages.
http://www.transitionstroud.org
http://www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk/news/Building_Skills_Action_Group
It really is a double whammy - win win situation. I pass on things I can no longer use. Someone else, here or in Africa, develops skills & uses things which might have just been thrown away. Fantastic!
Dave spent huge amounts of time chopping wood for a wood burner he never got round to buying. I did though, a year after he died. I couldn't bear to think that all his effort was wasted & I benefited every winter from all that effort. So, I'm really pleased that the Transition group may also want some of the wood. It's really nice that my daughter & a good friend will benefit too.
Interestingly there is a whole network of spin offs from the TfSR ethic. So Steve runs courses for people in simple building / DIY skills at Hawkwood College. The group also do maintenance etc for each other, under his professional eye, to develop their skill base. I wish I'd known that after Dave died - it would have saved me a lot of stress. What a simple & effective idea though. I really like the whole community, self help ethos. It's a shame that positive initiatives like this don't get more publicity, while negative news often smothers the front pages.
http://www.transitionstroud.org
http://www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk/news/Building_Skills_Action_Group
It really is a double whammy - win win situation. I pass on things I can no longer use. Someone else, here or in Africa, develops skills & uses things which might have just been thrown away. Fantastic!
Shedding the Load
Today a whole load of antique "stuff" is being sold at auction. By an large it won't recoup what I paid for it because of the decline in demand for antiques. Add to that a £5 lotting fee on each lot, 15% commission to the auctioneers & charges for insurance etc & you don't get a lot back. So I just have to be pleased that I have reduced the quantity of my possessions & someone else will hopefully get pleasure from them.
Someone from Tools for Self Reliance is coming here to look at all my tools today - there are a lot. I feel pleased that they will be going to help others in more need than me. So another big reduction eventually. I've cleared out a whole load of plastic pots ready for re-cycling too. It is amazing what we hold on to in case it "comes in useful".
Two friends have bought garden ornaments & a barometer. The cash will actually be useful & it's nice to know the people & places which are their new homes. Attachment to things usually means memories of people. In the case of these items the people are no longer here, but I don't need the things to remember them. They will always be there, in the recesses of my mind. I am often reminded of them both by the oddest things, particularly my husband.
So bit by bit the process of uprooting & leaving goes on. By the time I go I will be more than ready, but it has been quite hard. I hope it's the right decision - time will tell.
Someone from Tools for Self Reliance is coming here to look at all my tools today - there are a lot. I feel pleased that they will be going to help others in more need than me. So another big reduction eventually. I've cleared out a whole load of plastic pots ready for re-cycling too. It is amazing what we hold on to in case it "comes in useful".
Two friends have bought garden ornaments & a barometer. The cash will actually be useful & it's nice to know the people & places which are their new homes. Attachment to things usually means memories of people. In the case of these items the people are no longer here, but I don't need the things to remember them. They will always be there, in the recesses of my mind. I am often reminded of them both by the oddest things, particularly my husband.
So bit by bit the process of uprooting & leaving goes on. By the time I go I will be more than ready, but it has been quite hard. I hope it's the right decision - time will tell.
Thursday 18 July 2013
GIGO - Garbage In Garbage Out
I've never come across this phrase before, but it seems very appropriate to me, particularly in relation to politics. There are so many complex issues that a modern, developed, society has to deal with - health, welfare, employment, education, justice....and on and on. The policies we vote for are important, so it seems to me the onus is on the political parties to ensure that the data they use to determine what those policies are and the data they use to verify that the policies are working is vitally important.
However frequently this appears not to be the case. Too often really questionable statistics are used. Misinformation is peddled. Glib responses hide the paucity of evidence. Politicians of all shades don't answer direct questions, but deliver irrelevant "soundbites" hoping the public / questioner will give up trying to get straight answers. Are there special classes for politicians on how to evade answering relevant questions? Are they graded on their ability to avoid answering? Is there a punishment from the "Whips" if they get it wrong? You bet.
In the fullness of time, with "Freedom of Information" most lies & deceits are revealed. Iraq for example. But by then it's too late. The harm is done. People have suffered needlessly & in some cases died. We are still nowhere near the transparency & availability of information that America now has.
I think decision makers should have to wear a simple form of lie detector when making public statements. There must be an inventor out there who could devise it. Perhaps it could sound a siren when politicians dissemble & lie? For frequent offenders perhaps a mild electric shock? We are a nation of inventors. There must be money in it for some clever entrepreneur. Currently no one seems to be really held to account for anything.
However frequently this appears not to be the case. Too often really questionable statistics are used. Misinformation is peddled. Glib responses hide the paucity of evidence. Politicians of all shades don't answer direct questions, but deliver irrelevant "soundbites" hoping the public / questioner will give up trying to get straight answers. Are there special classes for politicians on how to evade answering relevant questions? Are they graded on their ability to avoid answering? Is there a punishment from the "Whips" if they get it wrong? You bet.
In the fullness of time, with "Freedom of Information" most lies & deceits are revealed. Iraq for example. But by then it's too late. The harm is done. People have suffered needlessly & in some cases died. We are still nowhere near the transparency & availability of information that America now has.
I think decision makers should have to wear a simple form of lie detector when making public statements. There must be an inventor out there who could devise it. Perhaps it could sound a siren when politicians dissemble & lie? For frequent offenders perhaps a mild electric shock? We are a nation of inventors. There must be money in it for some clever entrepreneur. Currently no one seems to be really held to account for anything.
Monday 15 July 2013
Home Buyers Surveys - Worst Case Scenario's
I may not end up buying the house I have had surveyed & conveyancing done on. That's the worst case scenario.
My offer was accepted on the basis that the vendor gets professionals in to do the outstanding maintenance & a thorough clean after the current tenants have left. However the list of work to be done is much more comprehensive than I saw for myself - I am really pleased that I didn't stint on survey costs. My solicitor has sent the report to the vendors solicitor for written agreement to abide by the conditions. The vendors other option is to accept a lower price & I have to get the work done. That would mean getting 3 estimates for everything so I know how much to reduce the price I'm paying & having the work done while I live there. That's the second worst case scenario.
So exchange will be delayed until I know what the vendors response is. At that point I have to decide what to do. If he refuses to get the work done or lower the price the worst, worst case scenario is that I have to move on the 29th August, maybe to a rental, or more likely put my stuff in storage while I try to find a rental & live temporarily with my daughter or a friend who has offered. I'm grateful that I do have that option, but it isn't ideal for me or them. I have decided that I'm not prepared to pay the agreed price if the vendor won't comply with our agreement. I know the house is already overpriced.
The trick is to accept the worst case scenario & hope that it won't happen. The difficulty is envisaging how someone else might respond / react to the circumstances. My purchasers have already reacted in a way that completely shocked me & I would never have envisaged, so it's all a bit of a shot in the dark.
Sometimes this all feels like continual fire fighting. I just hope there is enough water left in the hose to get through all of this!
My offer was accepted on the basis that the vendor gets professionals in to do the outstanding maintenance & a thorough clean after the current tenants have left. However the list of work to be done is much more comprehensive than I saw for myself - I am really pleased that I didn't stint on survey costs. My solicitor has sent the report to the vendors solicitor for written agreement to abide by the conditions. The vendors other option is to accept a lower price & I have to get the work done. That would mean getting 3 estimates for everything so I know how much to reduce the price I'm paying & having the work done while I live there. That's the second worst case scenario.
So exchange will be delayed until I know what the vendors response is. At that point I have to decide what to do. If he refuses to get the work done or lower the price the worst, worst case scenario is that I have to move on the 29th August, maybe to a rental, or more likely put my stuff in storage while I try to find a rental & live temporarily with my daughter or a friend who has offered. I'm grateful that I do have that option, but it isn't ideal for me or them. I have decided that I'm not prepared to pay the agreed price if the vendor won't comply with our agreement. I know the house is already overpriced.
The trick is to accept the worst case scenario & hope that it won't happen. The difficulty is envisaging how someone else might respond / react to the circumstances. My purchasers have already reacted in a way that completely shocked me & I would never have envisaged, so it's all a bit of a shot in the dark.
Sometimes this all feels like continual fire fighting. I just hope there is enough water left in the hose to get through all of this!
Saturday 13 July 2013
Law, Morality, Justice & Moving House.
I'm going to try not to make this a diatribe. I will attempt to be reasoned & measured.
I got an email yesterday threatening me with legal action by my purchasers, because I had offered to sell them my wood burning stove & water softener along with various pieces of furniture which I can't take with me. I filled in the usual fixtures & fittings form way back & deliberately didn't mention those 2 items because I could have used them in two of the houses I put bids in for. In fact I'm actually moving to a different house & there's no room there.
I'm not aware of having had any advice to specifically exclude F & F's I intended to take, either verbally or in writing. I noticed that several estate agents print a disclaimer regarding F & F's, including one who acted for me & one who acts for the house I'm purchasing. I assumed it was standard practice. Apparently not, the agent who sold my house doesn't do it. Why the variation? Why isn't it standard for agents to protect their clients from exactly this problem in this simple way?
I have just received 2 documents in the post this morning. They are an inch thick in total. One is from my surveyor & one from my solicitor. They are just two in a long line of documentation which has passed through my hands during this process. I do my best to read everything properly. I don't have anyone else to share the load. So if I have missed something I'm actually not surprised.
My buyers knew before we exchanged that the wood burner & the water softener were not included in the fixtures & fittings because they came to the house to see the stuff I couldn't take. We exchanged 2 days later because I was pressured into it, although I wasn't ready to exchange on my purchase. Now 9 days after viewing the stuff I wanted to sell & 7 days after Exchange I get threatened with legal action. That really doesn't seem a very reasonable way to behave to me.
I'm waiting to hear what my legal position is. Going on what I was told by a neighbour last night I may have to let them have the two items. That may be legal, but it doesn't seem fair or just to me - But then I'm biased. It all depends on your moral compass & innate conscience. I know what mine would dictate in the circumstances.
I got an email yesterday threatening me with legal action by my purchasers, because I had offered to sell them my wood burning stove & water softener along with various pieces of furniture which I can't take with me. I filled in the usual fixtures & fittings form way back & deliberately didn't mention those 2 items because I could have used them in two of the houses I put bids in for. In fact I'm actually moving to a different house & there's no room there.
I'm not aware of having had any advice to specifically exclude F & F's I intended to take, either verbally or in writing. I noticed that several estate agents print a disclaimer regarding F & F's, including one who acted for me & one who acts for the house I'm purchasing. I assumed it was standard practice. Apparently not, the agent who sold my house doesn't do it. Why the variation? Why isn't it standard for agents to protect their clients from exactly this problem in this simple way?
I have just received 2 documents in the post this morning. They are an inch thick in total. One is from my surveyor & one from my solicitor. They are just two in a long line of documentation which has passed through my hands during this process. I do my best to read everything properly. I don't have anyone else to share the load. So if I have missed something I'm actually not surprised.
My buyers knew before we exchanged that the wood burner & the water softener were not included in the fixtures & fittings because they came to the house to see the stuff I couldn't take. We exchanged 2 days later because I was pressured into it, although I wasn't ready to exchange on my purchase. Now 9 days after viewing the stuff I wanted to sell & 7 days after Exchange I get threatened with legal action. That really doesn't seem a very reasonable way to behave to me.
I'm waiting to hear what my legal position is. Going on what I was told by a neighbour last night I may have to let them have the two items. That may be legal, but it doesn't seem fair or just to me - But then I'm biased. It all depends on your moral compass & innate conscience. I know what mine would dictate in the circumstances.
Friday 12 July 2013
Disappearing Home.
My things are moving to new homes. Gradually my daughter & friends are collecting various items which I won't have room for in my new city life. It's oddly reassuring that they are moving to the homes of people I love - I can picture them in situ. It's also really good to give things away to charities & know that someone not as fortunate as me may really need them / find a use for them.
There is a slight frisson of concern that I may get rid of something and then regret it. But in all honesty I feel relieved & lighter as each thing goes. There is also the weird feeling when I suddenly discover something that I had completely forgotten I had. It surely can't be that important when you aren't even aware of it.
In an ideal world I don't think I would have much in the way of possessions at all. Although I am keeping some things, this process has revealed to me that I don't actually really look at things as I live my life. I have lots of paintings, some ornaments, embroideries I did in my "arty" years, as most people do. But I think familiarity means you actually ignore. Life is too busy to really look & see properly. We generally don't have the time to appreciate nice things that surround us - even the free things like a beautiful view. It is a shame & I'm aiming to be very selective in my new home. Less is more, but the less you have the more important it is that it enriches you life - your soul.
I really don't care much about things. I don't think I need things to remind me of my life. What's gone is gone, I need to focus on today, this minute & enjoy it free from encumbrances. It may not be that easy.
Tuesday 9 July 2013
Belief and Discrimination
Belief - a principle accepted as true, opinion, conviction.
Discrimination - unfair treatment, action based on prejudice.
http://www.globalissues.org/article/166/womens-rights#Genderdiscriminationthroughoutalifetime
I don't get how men - educated or not, old or young, religious or not, can convince themselves that women are less important human beings than they are. To allow this to continue, anywhere, is to be complicit in it. Not implementing legislation which outlaws it is also to be complicit.
No religion does or should promote discrimination & the men who chose to try to interpret their holy books to actively support their abhorrent views should not be allowed to continue. It is a crime to discriminate mentally, physically or financially against women's freedom to be equal to men anywhere & in any sphere.
So how does the world community act in places like Egypt & Afghanistan where women are routinely abused and treated as second class or worse? These countries & others like them are ruled by men, who are quite often religious zealots, for their own ends. The world community of male dominated, political, leaders is impotent. They bicker & procrastinate or actively block positive legislation or action.
Women tend to conciliate & aim for consensus. You can't reach consensus with dogmatic, self serving views. Women have a right to be angry about physical and mental abuse. They not only have a right to show their feelings, women who are not discriminated against have a duty to protect those who are. In this age of super highway communications, women everywhere should become a force to be reckoned with to stamp out outrages like genital mutilation, stoning & sex trafficking.
We have the power in our hands - we should use it and not let thousands more women suffer.
Discrimination - unfair treatment, action based on prejudice.
http://www.globalissues.org/article/166/womens-rights#Genderdiscriminationthroughoutalifetime
I don't get how men - educated or not, old or young, religious or not, can convince themselves that women are less important human beings than they are. To allow this to continue, anywhere, is to be complicit in it. Not implementing legislation which outlaws it is also to be complicit.
No religion does or should promote discrimination & the men who chose to try to interpret their holy books to actively support their abhorrent views should not be allowed to continue. It is a crime to discriminate mentally, physically or financially against women's freedom to be equal to men anywhere & in any sphere.
So how does the world community act in places like Egypt & Afghanistan where women are routinely abused and treated as second class or worse? These countries & others like them are ruled by men, who are quite often religious zealots, for their own ends. The world community of male dominated, political, leaders is impotent. They bicker & procrastinate or actively block positive legislation or action.
Women tend to conciliate & aim for consensus. You can't reach consensus with dogmatic, self serving views. Women have a right to be angry about physical and mental abuse. They not only have a right to show their feelings, women who are not discriminated against have a duty to protect those who are. In this age of super highway communications, women everywhere should become a force to be reckoned with to stamp out outrages like genital mutilation, stoning & sex trafficking.
We have the power in our hands - we should use it and not let thousands more women suffer.
Thursday 4 July 2013
Exchange & Completion
I have been pushed into exchanging contracts on the sale of my house before I can exchange on the house I'm buying. Given that there is no chain involved in either transaction I was really hoping to avoid this. The good news is that buyers have to pay a substantial, non refundable 10% deposit when they exchange. The bad news is that you have to give a date for completion which is set in stone. So the risk is that you must leave your home & take all your possessions away with no new home to go to.
Obviously you can store your possessions & rent but that involves possibly moving twice if the rental is unfurnished. There is also the risk that something vital is stored & difficult to access. The other problem is that although you are in a good position because you are a cash buyer, in places like Oxford, where I am buying property, values are increasing higher than the national average because there is a shortage of supply. So all in all, for me it's bad news.
It feels like jumping off a cliff hoping the sea will be deep enough to survive. I just have to think of the worst case scenario - accept that it could happen - but hope that it doesn't.
It isn't helped by a vendor, who in fairness I have never met or had direct dealings with, who doesn't seem to be in any way committed to moving this sale on. It is so frustrating when people don't sign documents in a timely fashion. In my case it means that my solicitors haven't even been able to start the searches.
I have really had enough of this whole stressful process. Nothing has gone smoothly since the house went on the market. My house is in mild chaos, with piles of things to be disposed of. I'm finding it really difficult to keep all the balls in the air & cover all the bases on my own.
My friends have been incredibly supportive but there must be a better way for everyone concerned.
Obviously you can store your possessions & rent but that involves possibly moving twice if the rental is unfurnished. There is also the risk that something vital is stored & difficult to access. The other problem is that although you are in a good position because you are a cash buyer, in places like Oxford, where I am buying property, values are increasing higher than the national average because there is a shortage of supply. So all in all, for me it's bad news.
It feels like jumping off a cliff hoping the sea will be deep enough to survive. I just have to think of the worst case scenario - accept that it could happen - but hope that it doesn't.
It isn't helped by a vendor, who in fairness I have never met or had direct dealings with, who doesn't seem to be in any way committed to moving this sale on. It is so frustrating when people don't sign documents in a timely fashion. In my case it means that my solicitors haven't even been able to start the searches.
I have really had enough of this whole stressful process. Nothing has gone smoothly since the house went on the market. My house is in mild chaos, with piles of things to be disposed of. I'm finding it really difficult to keep all the balls in the air & cover all the bases on my own.
My friends have been incredibly supportive but there must be a better way for everyone concerned.
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