Garbage out, garbage where?

A dog sits atop a pile of trash near Sidhbari, India

Garbage!
Nowhere is the problem of garbage more evident than in India. It's everywhere. The problem is always right in front of your eyes.
While at my home in Minnesota, all I have to do is dump the trash into one garbage can and the recycling into another, and each week it's picked up and well, goes somewhere. It's no longer my problem!
It has only been through my experience in India that I have become aware how my purchasing habits contribute to this worldwide trash crisis. There is no weekly trash pickup. If I have trash, I have to figure out how to get rid of it - and to do it responsibly, which is not an easy task. What to do with the paper (toilet paper included, you can't flush it). Do I burn it? What about the packaging that I do generate? What about the veggie peelings? Yeah, I know I could start a compost pile, but that will attract critters, I fear?
Whether here or there, for me, it starts at the store. I'm becoming increasingly aware of unnecessary packaging including bottles and boxes. This packaging, here in India, too much of the time ends up along the roadside.
And just cause I can't see where all this refuse goes at my Minnesota home, doesn't mean there isn't a problem. It's just, well, out of sight, out of mind.

DISCLAIMER: My ramblings are in no way a representation of this magnificent country and its people. India is a widely diverse country. Cities are vibrant and very modern, but we choose to live in a smaller, more remote area where many of the old customs and traditions are very much practiced. Dharamshala is home to the Dali Lama and the Tibetan government in exile, thus a large Buddhist population. This area attracts artists, musicians, yoga and meditation practitioners from all the world. It is also home to many important Hindu temples.

Retirement reflections from a mountain view

A Tibetan couple takes time to enjoy the sunset reflect on the mountains. It's been two years since I've retired, but I am still trying to get past the work ethic that was instilled in me and learn how to just "be."

When I tell people of our retirement lifestyle – six months in the comforts of my Minnesota home and six months in a rural India village in the foothills of the Himalayas -the question is “Why?”

The answer is complicated, but to the core it stems from my husband's and my desire to, as we age, remain relevant, challenged by new experiences, engaged in the world around us, and healthy.

From time-to-time, I hope to write about how, at the age of 72, my life continues to unfold with new experiences and challenges – whether in India or Minnesota, all I have to do is open the door to whatever life holds.
DISCLAIMER: My ramblings are in no way a representation of this magnificent country and its people. India is a widely diverse country. Cities are vibrant and very modern, but we choose to live in a smaller, more remote area where many of the old customs and traditions are very much practiced. Dharamshala is home to the Dali Lama and the Tibetan government in exile, thus a large Buddhist population. This area attracts artists, musicians, yoga and meditation practitioners from all the world. It is also home to many important Hindu temples.

Challenge: What can you create from leftovers?

The Stitching Ladies of Nayi Asha create and sell handbags to help support their families. My hope is that by taking time to "play" with fabric, they will feel free to tap into their creativity and begin to think of themselves as artists as well as seamstresses

Today was all about fun.

I distributed different 4-inch fabric squares to the stitching ladies and asked them to come up with a pleasing design. Sounds simple enough for those of us who are quilters, but for the women of Nayi Asha, the sewing cooperative that has been part of my life during my stay in India, it’s not easy for them to think creatively.

The challenge left them giggling, especially when I said they each should exchange (just grab) one square with another person to create a more pleasing design. Oh, the banter exploded as they offered advice to each other, and some tried to protect their own design from pouching.  To finish the project, I asked them to find sashing material, sew the squares and sashing together and return in a week with a perfect 14-inch square.

Thanks to the generosity of my U.S. stitching friends, I was able to purchase
and give he Nayi Asha members new irons.

Today’s exercise, besides the fun part, was meant to build teamwork, improve stitching and pressing skills, but most importantly, tap into their creativity. My plan is to take the squares and make a table runner. I’m so looking forward to seeing their creations.

The Stitching Ladies previously used irons that were heavy, clunky

and not suited to the fine detailing there handbags require when pressing.

These women have never viewed themselves as artists. Women of the villages work hard. The handbags they create are simply seen as a means to add funds to the family’s coffers. Rarely do they get positive feedback.

My role is to help them tap into that available resource of ideas and translate that to creations and help them build their business. Through this process, I am hoping to boost their confidence.

Oh, just to let you know, I finally gave the stitching ladies the new irons that I was able to purchase thanks to the generosity of my stitching friends and their friends.

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