Happy Friday! I've started this diary as an open thread specifically to ask a question of the members, followers, and anyone else interested in this group: Should we have a weekly Living Simply open thread diary?
I'd like to have a more substantial regular series or weekly posting--preferably as a collective effort of the community, if anyone is interested--but in the meantime (and in the future, if there is interest, in addition to) I think that a weekly open thread would be a good way to start discussion, share ideas for diary topics, and in general chat about sustainable living stuff.
Thoughts and opinions? My personal preference is to post an open thread on Thursday or Friday a.m., but I am totally flexible. My personal preference is just that, what is convenient to me, because I am a selfish creature and want to be around to chat in the comments! But, in theory, I should be able to schedule a diary to post at any time or day in the new DKos4, so whatever is deemed to be the best day and time is when I will post. Also, right now I am the only person with admin privileges for the group (though I am not opposed to adding others as blog editors at some point), but that doesn't mean that I always have to be the person to "host" the open thread. Someone else can always post an open thread to the queue and I can schedule it to post to the group at the requisite time.
So, let me know: Do we do a weekly open thread? If so, when?
And in the spirit of an open thread (and Friday!), because just discussing whether or not to have an open thread is kinda boring, what are your weekend plans? Any projects to get ready for spring? I have a never-ending list of farm projects and repairs, but the current project I'd really like to get finished is a couple of pens for my breeding pairs of Call Ducks. While it is a farm endeavor, I'll admit it is not entirely sustainable; Calls are not particularly good layers and, as the smallest breed of duck, are not suitable for the table (not being a good meat bird is fine by us--we are vegetarian, and our poultry is kept solely for eggs, breeding/sales, and exhibition). I keep the little ducks purely for enjoyment! Our new pens are up off the ground with wire floors to keep the mess to a minimum and feature tub sunk into the floor as a "pond" for the ducks. Now, once I figure out how to install a drain in the bottom of the plastic mortar tubs I'm using, I'll be in business...
If you didn't catch the last couple of diaries posted to Living Simply, check out veritas curat's discussion of the irony of living with less in Living the Good Life and Joieau's great how-to piece in her republished solar food dryer diary.