Clothing Swaps and Other Eco-Socializing Ideas
I swear this was trendy in 1985
I’ve never been known for my stellar fashion sense (see photo, circa 1985) but my wardrobe has seemed particularly stagnant lately so I was excited when my friends Maggie and Siri invited me to the Second Annual Ladies Clothing Swap and Tea Party. I don’t know how it compared to last year but this year’s event was AWESOME. About thirty or so women showed up with bags of clothing that was quickly sorted by type - pants in one pile, dresses in another, t-shirts across the way… The hostesses had made cute little handwritten signs for each pile and carefully propped up mirrors in strategic places around the room.
And then we all dove in. Well, actually, it was one of those amazing instances of smooth flow without any direction or authority. At any given time, there were some women trying on outfits while others gathered in the kitchen to drink tea and others found a cozy corner to sit and chat. I had a wonderful time expanding my wardrobe but it was really the sense of connection with all these other women that made it an exceptional event.
I call it “eco-socializing” - an excuse to get together and strengthen the feeling of community while also achieving an ecological goal; in this case, efficiently recycling clothing by trading it with others. Granted, a clothing swap may not be as obviously constructive as a barn raising or as altruistically beneficial as a volunteer river cleanup but I still think it’s an integral part of building a green society. These are the kinds of events we need to be fostering in our towns and neighborhoods, along with canning parties, sewing circles, and leftover exchanges. They don’t have to be about saving the planet; just about finding a way to spend some time with friends and neighbors while sharing resources in order to reduce waste and reinforcing shared beliefs about green living.
I suppose saving poor souls like myself from fashion tragedies is a worthy goal too.
Wonder what turkeys eat in the winter? Well, as we followed their tracks around camp we came across this pile of cracked acorns. They look like a lot of work to me but I’m guessing turkey beaks are more efficient at these sorts of tasks than I am. I believe turkeys also depend on different kinds of seeds in the winter, including corn or other grains from nearby farm fields. They probably were quite happy at the camp where we stayed, which had a variety of habitat types including open meadows, wooded ravines, a lake, and nearby farm fields. In the summer they add berries and insects to their diet.
Even with our reduced electrical usage, installing enough solar panels to meet our average needs just isn’t cost-effective for us yet. Photovoltaic (PV) prices have dropped a lot in recent years so even though we can’t afford a big system, there are a couple of cheaper options for trying out solar energy on a small scale.
I am so ready for spring. I can’t stop garden planning and I’m ready to run out and start DOING things if only it would be warm & dry for two days in a row (don’t want to overly compact the soil). I also need to spend a little time creating a [sigh] budget. I wish I were either fabulously wealthy or super skilled at transforming society’s garbage into useful structures like trellises and fences and grape arbors and outdoor showers. But as I am neither, I have to prioritize and I’m having trouble.
So here’s what I’ve come up with (as translated with my crude drawing skills). On the left is a trellis that would run east-west, creating a truly shady spot in front of our front door. On the right is a trellis that would run north-south (perpendicular to the house), nestled in the corner next to the stairs. I would connect them with 4 or 5 wires running parallel to the roof overhang, where vines could grow and help shade out the noontime sun but leave the southeast corner of the porch uncovered so I could set up my solar cooker.
