Today is Monday, October 25, 2010
I have tried to simplify my life and to live with a bit more awareness of the earth. By that I mean making my life more simple will perhaps result in being kind to the earth. I try to use less paper by using cloth instead of paper where possible; I don’t buy paper towels for instance. I don’t leave the water running when I brush my teeth and I shower more than take baths. The bath thing is a bummer–I do love a bubble bath. I only wash full loads of laundry and full loads in the dishwasher. Turn lights off in rooms I am not using–big for me because I hate dark rooms. Recycle where I can. Anyway, you get the idea.
So, to be mindful of the earth’s resources, I bank on-line and now I am setting up e-bills. Not only is it good for Mother Earth but for me. It is so much easier this way. But there is a down side.–every thing seems to have a down-side. Doing all this paper saving results in less mail. And like nice hot bubble baths I like my mail.
Now when I go to the mail box with happy thoughts of cards and catalogs and magazines and letters and notes and yes, even bills, there is often just an empty box. I hate that!
Of course, I do have e-mail and I shop on-line catalogs. I even look at on-line magazines. But it’s just not the same. I was so excited when last year a friend gave me a real magazine subscription for Christmas. It’s okay if someone gives you a subscription as a gift–but not to buy one for yourself.
I do get a Netflix movie once a week–I do that because I am too cheap to go to the movies often. And when I order something on-line it comes in the mail but the cheap thing comes into play again so the ordering is rare. I am not really cheap or frugal but learning to take care with my finances–I am a positive, glass half full kind of person, or I would have said lack of finances.
So, to be a good steward of the earth’s bounty I have turned to Cyber mail–but it is not the same as real mail. It is not as enjoyable an experience as real mail. I imagine there will be a day when snail mail is no longer an option and all correspondence will be digital. How sad–woe is me.
Patricia's Place 
Hi Patricia,
Thanks for using my photo. It emphasizes the humor in your post, I think.
I address the dark room/electricity use with compact fluorescent bulbs, and I do e-banking, but don’t trust the system enough to have my info only digital, so I don’t save much paper… I used to try harder, but it was too hard!
Dimple, I think the photo definitely added to the post. Know what you mean about not trusting the digital/cyber world completely. Some stuff just has to be hands on.