• 18 things for 2018
  • 2015 Challenge – 52 in 52
  • 2016 challenge – 52 new things
  • 2017 Challenge – 17 things
  • Bucket List – Done and dusted
  • Bucket List – Still to do
  • This is Me – May 2015
  • This was Me – August 2014

RuthsArc

~ Looking forward, looking back & enjoying now.

RuthsArc

Category Archives: making changes

Daily Gratitude – All Health Care Workers

17 Friday Apr 2020

Posted by RuthsArc in making changes, photography

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

gratitude

I love this photo.

It was taken by our daughter’s house mate. Taken a couple of nights ago, it was the first break during a shift, that her ambulance crew have had in months. Bless you girls and thank you all.

“There is a glimpse of light at the end of this tunnel.”

93418434_10159531481721980_2043817104708206592_o

My daily commute

28 Wednesday Aug 2019

Posted by RuthsArc in all about me, making changes, remembering / musing

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

me, work

On this day 5 years ago, I said goodbye to my London Banking career.

My daily commute then was a packed train through city suburbs into London Bridge Station and London Cannon Street Station.
transport

Today my commute starts at a bus stop overlooking the river and mountain, with a journey on an uncrowded bus passing the beach.

IMG_4597
IMG_3085

There are several stops and depending on the weather, I try to walk a while rather than waiting at the nearest stop. I enjoy watching the seabirds, whilst walking and waiting – cormorants, oyster catchers, plovers, herons, dab chicks as well as gulls.

There is a bus stop with a shelter, up the hill which is convenient on cold or rainy days.
IMG_E2894

Buses before 8.30am are an express route, picking up passengers this end but then non-stop into the city. I have to remember to get off at the local shopping centre and change to another slow bus to work. I’m sure one day I will be so engrossed in a book that I‘ll miss the interchange and end up across the bridge in the city centre.

#plasticfreejuly Wrap Up

31 Wednesday Jul 2019

Posted by RuthsArc in 52 challenge, making changes

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

me

As I review the Challenge Checklist I am pleasantly surprised by what we were already doing and what we’ve achieved in just one month. It has been easy to create new habits with our shopping, with storing food in the fridge.

Plastic-Free-July_Action-Picker_Getting-started (1)

I’ve bought this book by a local Hobart family who have been living a specific lifestyle for a few years. I’ve only read the early chapters but it is inspiring and practical. It focuses on the key R’s of waste free living:
Refuse
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
Rot
Reframe

IMG_E4112

The book talks about our consumer society, food miles and the benefit of buying local, eating seasonal produce, connecting again with where our food comes from, the effort and energy needed to grow it.

It talks about composting, growing your own, getting to know your local farm shops and markets, being part of a local community, buying in bulk, preserving food that is in season to last through winter, foraging, natural remedies, repurposing, upcycling. It talks about thinking how our parents and grandparents lived before plastic. Is there anything we can learn from them?

It has recipes, suggestions, solutions. I don’t know that I’ll be making my own mascara or toothpaste but never say never.

So I’ll wrap up Plastic Free July in beeswax. Thanks for all the support, comments, inspiration and for joining the discussion. Let’s all try to make a difference, no matter how small. Our changes have a ripple effect. Let’s create a new normal. Hopefully our politicians and multi-national companies will soon get on board.

IMG_4111

Changing Seasons – July

30 Tuesday Jul 2019

Posted by RuthsArc in creativity, making changes, one with nature

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

Rediscover Tasmania, seasons

It’s mid-winter here in Hobart. We’ve had more rain than usual and more snow on our mountain. However, we have been able to get out most weekends, a bush walk, a beach walk, to “Festival of Voices” events and a visit to the picturesque town of Richmond where I played with black and white photos of the historic bridge.

IMG_3911IMG_3915 (1)IMG_3916 (1)

A partial lunar eclipse coincided with the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11. I was fascinated by the various documentaries on the moon landing and the role that Australian telescopes at Honeysuckle Creek and at Parkes, played in relaying the tv pictures from the first moon walk.

IMG_E3854

I have finally completed a long overdue crochet project. Three and a half years ago I was given a kit with 75 different yarns, 3 patterns to follow plus a colour chart. I have worked it on and off but was determined to complete the scarf and wear it this winter. I added my own variation, stripes to compliment the squares, easier and quicker to crochet. I’m happy with the result and it’s been warm and cosy on these cold days.

IMG_8465-2IMG_9979-2IMG_8750 copy-2

IMG_3681
IMG_3741

As part of my Plastic free July Challenge, I attended a workshop to learn how to make my own beeswax wraps. It was much easier than I anticipated and we learnt two techniques. We used a recipe of Tasmanian beeswax, pine resin and jojoba oil. With our fabric on a sheet of baking paper we painted the hot mixture onto our fabric squares, then with a second sheet of baking paper on top, we ironed the fabric to spread the wax evenly. Peeled apart, the fabric soon set when held up in the air. The other method required a heated tray, or baking tray in the oven. The workshop was friendly, informative and relaxed and we each came away with four new wraps.

IMG_4042
IMG_E4028
IMG_E4030

IMG_E4051

The days are drawing out and rather than getting home from work in the dark, I’m now capturing sunsets on my walk from the bus stop.

IMG_E4021

I’m linking this post to Su’s Changing Seasons Challenge.

#PlasticFreeJuly – Dilemmas

29 Monday Jul 2019

Posted by RuthsArc in 52 challenge, making changes

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

me

I’m looking at the plastic that is still ending up in our recycling bin and I have a dilemma.

IMG_3757
We purposefully buy locally produced milk and orange juice and both come in plastic bottles. We could buy them in tetra pak cartons, but then the food miles is a huge compromise and we are not supporting our local Tasmanian economy. I was surprised to see one carton of juice on the shelf with this labelling.
IMG_3612

We need to find a butcher in our new suburb. We have taken the convenient option and been buying prepacked meat from the supermarket. That needs to change.

IMG_3755
IMG_3835

Another dilemma is soft fruit and cherry tomatoes, that are packed in plastic boxes. Raspberries and blueberries are a favourite with my breakfast cereal or porridge. Small tomatoes are sweet and an easy option with my packed lunch. So far I haven’t given up these favoured healthy foods. I have frozen blueberries in the freezer but they are a “Product of Chile”. So more food miles and still in plastic packaging. I plan to grow tomatoes so that will be a seasonal solution. Perhaps I could plant some raspberry canes too.

This month I have only really tackled our food shopping. Cleaning products and toiletries are a whole different quandary.

#plasticfreejuly is just the beginning ……

Although our council collects recycling rubbish each fortnight, there are concerns where our plastics go when they are out of our vicinity, out of sight. Australia has a big problem. Two years ago, China stopped taking our recycled products. Now, Indonesia is returning several shipping containers of “contaminated waste”.

There are companies here making products from recycled plastic. The reusable produce bags I purchased, street furniture, public benches, bollards. Some councils are resurfacing roads with a plastic by-product. I have pencils and a rain jacket made from recycled plastics. But so much more needs to be done on a national level as well as local and individual scale.

Tasmanian beaches are generally rubbish free, but I have picked up some bottles and the plastic rings from bottle tops. I now purposely cut the plastic rings before I put any in our recycling bin, so they can’t strangle a bird or animal if they end up somewhere unexpected.
IMG_E3582

#PlasticFreeJuly – Positive Changes

22 Monday Jul 2019

Posted by RuthsArc in 52 challenge, making changes

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

me

Three weeks into this challenge and I’ve made some positive changes

I’ve stopped using plastic produce bags that are provided in our supermarkets. I’ve bought reusable produce bags, some cotton ones, others that are made from recycled plastic bottles. They work well for shopping and keeping cauliflower, lettuce, etc in the fridge.

IMG_3899 (1)

IMG_3827
IMG_3698
IMG_3756

 

Where possible I’ve bought produce from farmers markets or at local shops.

IMG_3661IMG_3659IMG_3662

Some items on the checklist have been easy to tick. For over a year, I’ve been using a keep cup for any take away coffee. We have metal drink bottles that we take out instead of buying water. At home we have a Soda Stream for sparling water or flavoured drinks. I don’t use straws and haven’t bought balloons for many years, although balloons were always a part of birthdays when our daughters were young.

IMG_E5649
IMG_E3904

I guess I’ve been making conscious decisions for a while. When we moved and had an outdoor washing line again, I bought metal pegs, not plastic ones.

IMG_2789

We have also changed to a sustainable, ethical, plastic free toilet paper, made from bamboo.

IMG_3934IMG_3933

We are far from being “plastic free” but we are making changes and reducing the amount of plastic that we buy and place in our recycle bin.

#PlasticFreeJuly – Beeswax Wraps

12 Friday Jul 2019

Posted by RuthsArc in 52 challenge, making changes

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

me

Beeswax wraps are an easy alternative to cling film or single use plastic food bags. They are reusable, washable and last up to twelve months. They are becoming increasingly popular here.
IMG_E3552

We started using them to wrap cheese in the fridge and they have been great. We now use them for wrapping leftovers, cooked meat. Also for sandwiches and snacks. I must try them in the freezer.
IMG_3752

Beeswax wraps are made by infusing squares or rectangles of cotton with a mixture of food-grade beeswax, pine rosin and oil, usually jojoba or coconut. The waxy coating makes the cloth waterproof, but breathable and “sticky” like plastic wrap. I have bought ours but apparently they are easy to make yourself. That is a challenge for another day.

Have you seen them or used them?
IMG_3553

Plastic Free July – Single use plastic bags

05 Friday Jul 2019

Posted by RuthsArc in 52 challenge, making changes

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

me

The first Australian town to completely ban non-biodegradable plastic bags was Coles Bay in Tasmania, back in 2003.

In 2013, Tasmania banned single use light weight plastic bags. So we were dropped straight into the expectation of taking our own reusable bags to shops and supermarkets when we moved here. We have a stash of bags in the boot of our car, I have a couple in a drawer at work and I have a few … ok… lots of canvas bags at home that I swap about and use regularly.

IMG_E3594

I am turning into a bag lady. My Mum has always carried her own shopping bags. I now appreciate the habits of previous generations. I remember going to local shops with my Nana, where the greengrocer would weigh and drop produce into the bottom of her shopping bag, potatoes first, then carrots and other heavy vegetables, lighter or fragile fruit and salad on the top. No plastic bags, no separation, just occasional paper bags.

A few retailers in Tasmania offer reusable plastic bags. Many offer paper bags.

IMG_3598

Saying no to single use plastic bags is an easy challenge for me to tick.

Plastic-Free-July_Action-Picker_Getting-started

Plastic Free July

01 Monday Jul 2019

Posted by RuthsArc in 52 challenge, all about me, making changes

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

me

PFJ-Badge-2019

I’ve signed up to be a part of “Plastic Free July”.

The campaign started in Western Australia in 2011. Last year, 120 million people across the globe took part in the challenge, across 177 countries.

I won’t be able to be totally plastic free but I can begin by simply saying no to the top four most prolific single-use plastics:
~ plastic bags
~ water bottles
~ take away coffee cups
~ plastic straws

I hope the month will make me take notice of the plastics I do buy, what habits I can change or products I can switch to reduce our overall household waste, to reduce our recycle bin and make a contribution to tackling the worlds plastic pollution problem.

Here is a link to their website for more information, suggestions or to sign up for the challenge.

Back to blogging from a new house

28 Tuesday May 2019

Posted by RuthsArc in all about me, making changes

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

home

It’s been a few months since I wrote on this blog. I subconsciously withdrew from social media, I took fewer photos whilst our life became busy with the process of house hunting.

After four years living in Tasmania, we have bought a home here. It was a big decision, more so for me, with my connections to the UK, easier for my Aussie husband. We love it here, the island, the landscape, the Hobart lifestyle, the climate, the place, the people. So it feels right to commit to life here.

House hunting became a full time hobby, checking online for new listings, visiting “open house” inspections every weekend. There are so many designs and styles of house here, so many choices and options. We gradually narrowed down our wish list. When we had purchased previous homes, we had strict limitations – transport links for commuting to London when we were “twenty somethings” – location to our daughters school when we moved for the “parents of teenagers” stage.

Now, it’s just us, what did we want? What suburbs appealed to us? Could we afford a water view?

Our new home is across the River Derwent so we now have views of the river and Mount Wellington. We have an “upside down” house, with bedrooms and bathrooms downstairs, living rooms upstairs with balcony.

We have a garden to look after, so that might become the new focus of my blog as I see what surprises the garden has in store over the coming months.

Today seems a good day to post a few photos. There was snow on the mountain for the first time this season.

DSC03881-2IMG_2471IMG_2503

← Older posts

Archives

  • January 2023
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
award-free-blog-2

Categories

  • 100 word challenge
  • 52 challenge
  • all about me
  • back in 1985
  • creativity
  • days out
  • fifty something
  • making changes
  • midlife
  • more to life
  • my place
  • one with nature
  • Past Squares
  • photography
  • remembering / musing
  • Uncategorized
  • weekly photo challenge

Tags

5 minutes 52 Things 100 words A2Z Challenge Amsterdam animals architecture art astronomy Australia beach bench series birds boats books Cadiz Cambridge Cars challenge curiosity day out doors Ely emotography family flowers Giant's Causeway Gibraltar gratitude Greenwich happiness Hastings history Hobart holiday home in 1985 India insomnia Ireland Life with Covid-19 London Maastricht macro Margate me Melbourne music Netherlands New Zealand our garden people photos Pull up a Seat quotes Rediscover Tasmania Scotland seasons Seville sky Spain squareodds still life Sydney Tasmania time Titanic trees walks Whitstable work WW Remembrance
Follow RuthsArc on WordPress.com

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 657 other subscribers

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • RuthsArc
    • Join 657 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • RuthsArc
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.