“If you don’t get feedback from your performers and your audience, you’re going to be working in a vacuum.” ~ Peter Maxwell Davies
I am always grateful for the feedback that I receive via the comments section of this blog, and attempt to reply to as many questions as I can.
So today, I have decided to reach out for the ultimate reader feedback, and give you some choice about some of the things I am going to write about over the next few weeks leading up to the holiday break.
This idea began on the way home tonight. In a crowded train carriage, I began listening to one of my favourite bands, The Cure, and started to jot down all of the possible blog post titles that I observed or heard around me.
The list panned like this;
- The Lazy Gardener
- How Not To Suck At ……
- Living Like Tom and Barbara
- The Cure For …..
- Home-grown Herbal Teas
- Cover Your Windows
- All that Glitters is ….. Water
- 3 Ways To Grow Veg Without A Garden
- Climate Breakdown
- Alone With You
- One World. No Planet B
- The Look
- Bad Boy
- Clean Again
- Active and Angry
- Never Enough
I create blog post titles like this quite often and find it a very effective of generating detailed ideas and effective articles. I know they are a bit random, but I usually manage to fit one of the aspects of my lifestyle into the post and just start to write. What comes out at the end is sometimes even a surprise to me as well.
So what I am going to ask of you, dear reader, is to pick one of the titles, and briefly expand on what you would like me to cover in the post. Leave your response via comment, or a more detailed one via email if you wish to remain private. I will then attempt to weave your response somehow into the post.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I do have the beginning of thoughts of what each post will be about, but your feedback, as always is most welcome and in this case, respectfully and eagerly solicited.
As is always my philosophy, if you don’t ask, you don’t get, so here I am asking.
I am really excited about what may happen!
Hi Gavin
I am a regular reader and love all your posts even though I may not often comment. I would love you to expand on No.11 with something like an info- graphic. I deal with plumbers all day and the majority of them while not quite illiterate, they come pretty close. I.e they don’t read much but understand pictures, I would love to get your message across in a way that is understandable. I have had this idea for ages but just don’t have the skill or expertise to put it together.
G’day Gavin, Covering windows is a topic that I am wrestling with at the moment to try and block out some sun from North West facing windows to keep the house cool – I’d love to hear about your ideas. But in all honesty I can hardly wait to read any of the above stories!!!
Hi Gavin,
I’m not sure why but ‘The Look’ sounds like it might be interesting. I know many people think that we are ‘hippies’ when we talk about our ‘green’ life. Perhaps we are in this modern world in which we try to pursue a ‘greener’ life.
Hi Gavin,
1, 5, 8. Sounds good to me. I am always looking at ways to improve my gardening ( or lack thereof).
I like that you take the time to make comments on our comments.
Hope your knee is getting better.
Barb
Lazy gardener and cover your windows sound intriguing! Jenni
Living like Tom and Barbara. I think they had the answer way back then on how we need to live in the future. Love to hear your ideas on how to achieve that in this day and age! Never enough. That also sounds interesting, having read a book called Enough.
Living Like Tom and Barbara – I’d love to hear how you have gotten on with your “less” sustainable friends and neighbours. I think most of us will know people that sort of look at us funny, as they strive so hard to progress through their career paths.
Oh Margo.
Clean Again… I’m not sure what you had in mind, but I’m thinking of cleaning products! I make an effort to use the less-commercial cleaners like bicarb soda and vinegar, but I still struggle with task like drain unblocking and mould removal on the shower curtain. I’d love to see you blog about the greener cleaning options, the effect of these on grey water and how you monitor what goes into your grey water system and how it affects your soil, and also the green-ness (or not) of the production/distribution of bicarb, vinegar, etc, compared to standard cleaning products.
Is that Tom and Barbara from the old TV program from England, or a real neighbour of yours?
I was astonished recently when I met my hairdresser in the supermarket. She was pulling two large shopping carts piled high with cans, bottles of pop and boxes of prepared foods. When I asked her how much all that was likely to cost she said $400 and that it would last her family of husband and 3 kids about 10 days. That’s $8 per person per day which seems excessive to me and even though I don’t stint myself buying top quality stuff I doubt if I spend anything like that on my food. I am self sufficient on veg year round, make all my own bread, yogourt and of course cheese and never buy pre-packaged foods.
So I have decided to keep an accurate record of what I spend on food over a few weeks just to see how much I do spend.
A similar exercise by the Webber family would be interesting too.
I am talking Canadian dollars and Canadian food prices. I notice the exchange rate is close enough to equal between Can$ and the Aus$ so that’s not a factor.
David
Thanks everyone for the great feedback. I have jotted it all down and made a schedule for the posts so that I can keep track of which post goes with each comment/email.
You have been a great help!
I like David’s idea. Sounds good. We have been keeping an accurate table of what we spend – for the last four years. I do a graph up every year to show the kids how the money is distributed. We live more than a half day’s drive from the shops so takeaway food on those days really has an effect. The kids are surprised just how much it costs for a family of five to have a takeaway meal once a month from a place that isnt McDonalds.
Living Like Tom & Barbara – just thinking about them brings me a smile!
Hi Gavin,
I think they all sound good but first up I’d like to see these ones.
1. The Lazy Gardener
It would be good to hear more about how you can keep your garden productive when you don’t have much time to devote to it. Or maybe just “shortcut” ways to do things – for example growing a green manure crop that you can then slash down to fertilise the soil
I’d love to do it but don’t know which greens to pick to do it
So maybe its not “lazy” so much as alternative things which can make things quicker / easier or don’t involve buying another product
3. Living Like Tom and Barbara
I’d love to hear more about how to become more sustainable and more able to live self sufficiently. I’m sure you’d be able to make it as humorous as the tv show was!
7. All that Glitters is ….. Water
I think water and preserving it / conserving it is a really important topic … so I’d love to hear more about that and also more about watering the garden i.e how much do some plants really need … if its 35+ every day do you need to water every day etc
8. 3 Ways To Grow Veg Without A Garden
14. Clean Again
Like someone above this one struck me as being about “alternative” products and I’d love to learn more about making my owns soaps / washing powder etc
I’ve just found this one for the dish washer without borax which i will make and try soon
http://myhealthygreenfamily.com/blog/wordpress/homemade-borax-free-dishwasher-detergent-with-secret-ingredient/
16. Never Enough
This one strikes me as being about the rampant consumerism that seems to be everywhere …. I think it would be good to hear more about opting out of that and living with what you need rather than ‘desiring’ all the consummables out there
Looking forward to reading the articles