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stumbling self sufficiency in a small space
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9:14 am
Improver
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Sat 14-Aug-10
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Back from a holiday break to visit family in North London... Contrary to the topic statement it's not the return and yearning for more holiday i had but quite the reverse.
Whilst on holiday watching the family go about their hastle and bustle and listening to the children ( almost adult teens) winge about their lack of entertainment and dependency on modern technology... I smiled contentedly as i observed my two boys ( 5 and 13) play games outside and amused themselves together with wandering their grandfathers garden identifying plants and playing with the cat. The results of lifestyle being obvious on how much healthier our two looked physically and comments on how well socialised they were - interacting with each other and several generations of family and not squirreling away with some noisey anti social console or other.
Dont get me wrong we have them , but it was their choices not to use them and to interact with everyone and to explore which amused me. Watching their frustration when they find there was no 'big outdoors' to play... they wanted to look for fields and woods with trees to climb. And that was when my blues set in, with all its pomp and hustle and bustle and we have so much to do. i realised my children have all the growing space they need... right where we are! they have the right ballance, healthy eating, open air, lots of exercise.
Trying to down shift wasnt just about living an ideal ' grow yer own'... ' build yer own' ... it was more about returning to values far more important and for many far lost.. all to easy forgotten. In several areas of my career i have seen this - as a Police custody officer, body guard ... sports coach and tutor so many times in my short 42 yrs on this mortal coil i've seen the true values and morals dissolve into the dark melting pot of modern life.
Sow the seed, Nurture the roots, Grow the tree - a martial arts saying goes.
So i have returned home.. rested.. but restless lmao So back to hardwork.. no money but a full belly 
1:19 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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Never knowingly underfed
1:54 pm
Supreme Being
New members
Mon 7-Jun-10
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Know just what you mean....and welcome Budo 1....
Here in the south of BG there is enough space for everybody...Generations live together and all seem to have respect for each generation....essential for communal living. In some areas of UK it seems to be completely missing....no respect for people, property and things in general......
I leave my door unlocked, windows open in the summer, no bored individuals in my village, they ride horses bare back (that's the horse and sometimes the boys), all help in the tobacco fields because that's what they have to do since it's the main source of income, they bottle fruit and vegetables, each family has a garden and live off the land.
Just to keep on topic....every day seems like a holiday to me.....so relaxed...positively chilled despite the 28 degrees....
Who lives long sees much : The diary of my life in Bulgaria
6:02 pm
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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Well said Rob. We have watched the children playing outside for the whole of the summer here in Latvia too and they don't have 6 weeks holiday they have 12 weeks and they were still playing together nicely at the end. There props were a sandpit and shovel mainly. The child who was most bored in our family was the one who we had the most difficulty weaning off the console too, the other two were quite happy to entertain themselves, even now they are all growed up it is the same
7:42 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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It is good to see children being just that - children. Well done for bringing yours up to appreciate what they have around them Rob.
I'll try that again!
9:31 pm
Councillor
Tue 22-Sep-09
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There are a lot of children living in this street and yet I have hardly seen or heard a single one playing outside all summer holiday.
Kateuk makes things at http://www.etsy.com/shop/finkstuff and sometimes she does this too http://www54paintings.blogspot.com/ and also this http://finkstuff.weebly.com/
11:45 pm
Sat 12-Aug-06
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Why do you think that is, Kate? Sounds sad to me.
Never knowingly underfed
11:50 pm
Expert
New members
Sun 17-Jan-10
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The neighbourhood kids here spend the second half of the summer holidays building a den in the hedge across from my house. I was talking to my neighbour about it and her joy at seeing traditional kids' play is tempered by the utter mess of wood and plastic they've left strewn over the public right of way. I'm hoping they tidy up a bit once the building work's finished.
8:44 am
Councillor
Tue 22-Sep-09
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Danny- I think it is a mixture of them going away on holiday a lot, being sent to 'activities' to keep them occupied, playing with electronic stuff in the house and the fact that they aren't allowed to play in the street any more for whatever reason...but they don't seem to play in their gardens either, it was so quiet. A house down the road has an enormous climbing frame ( as large as a small house, has really enhanced our view) in the garden, I have only once seen a child on it .
Noisy now though as they are all walking past on their way to the first school day- that won't last, the cars will be back by the end of the week....
ooh 1+1! At last!
Kateuk makes things at http://www.etsy.com/shop/finkstuff and sometimes she does this too http://www54paintings.blogspot.com/ and also this http://finkstuff.weebly.com/
11:08 am
Supreme Being
Mon 21-Sep-09
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I know what you mean Kate, I used to say it took two weeks for my kids to get used to being at home and not at school and after that they were fine, after all as I used to tell them "boredom is a choice". According to some "experts" boredom is actually very positive for kids as it is in those times they have to start to think creatively, occupied kids don't have chance to think creatively.
Okay sometimes creative thinking isn't too great - depends on what they creatively think up but surely they have to have thought up some mischief along the lines to find out that is not the best use of their creative capacities? 
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