What My 10,000 Tenants Tell Us About The Economy

This very real interview with a property management company or large landowner is very eye opening. 

As a Canadian, I understand this is not the same as my native Canada....but is definitely worth a viewing if you have any interest at all in what the average joe is facing in terms of affordable housing and the process of renting.

It is also a great ¨behind the scenes¨ peak at what landlords are doing in order to keep happy tenants and protect their assets.

Peace and do leave a comment on this video. 

Carla

Do We Let Breathe?

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With greater authority and remote access comes greater temptation to micromanage and disturb natural processes. Many natural processes have been cycling for hundreds and thousands of years. They are beautiful to behold in all their rugged consistency. Natural processes are not perfect, but they are steady and they always move gently forward.

Cameras are everywhere now. They are not just viewing what we do in public spaces, but also collecting data about how we live,work and shop, worship..... how long we linger in certain spaces and much much more. 

It used to feel comforting that when you had a cell phone in your hand, that you could always reach out for assistance or reach a family member if there was an emergency.

But things are now much more complicated now. Our ¨smart ¨ phones and other ¨smart¨ devices in our homes and workplaces are collecting so much data about all we are and all we say and type and where we go and how fast or slow we go there. Every aspect of our lives has been sliced and diced, collected somewhere large or small, hidden or public ......and in many cases, sold to companies or governments who may benefit from that data.

In the business world too, there are a plethora of methods that managers can use to monitor and micromanage those whom they believe are their underlings. Cameras, keystroke monitors, screen recorders. Some of this monitoring is revealed to the underlings, and some of it is not. 

The thought that has occupied my mind this morning is simply this. Are we still allowing people to breathe? Are we trusting those around us to grow and prosper that which is within their care, or are we so mistrusting that we feel we must micromanage every moment of another human being´s day? Just because we can see and hear and monitor every moment of an employee´s day, doesn´t mean we should try to virtually control their every action. Humans needs to breathe. When humans sense that their every moment is under surveillance...they start to behave in less human ways.

I don´t know if you have ever had the misfortune of doing telemarketing and being handed a ¨script¨ which the employer expected you to utter word for word to whichever ¨target¨ you connected with on the phone. Having the words you speak controlled 100% by an employer is truly a terrible thing to experience.

So what I am proposing is the opposite of micromanaging and overbearing control.

I am talking the spiritual habit of holding up the greater good. I am talking about having faith in humanity and bringing joy and liberty to our daily lives. Let´s face it....no one likes to be micromanaged. Even when there is the possibility of making an error, we still don´t want to be micromanaged. Our inner being instinctively knows we are not created for this. Our spirits were created to sing with individuality and imagination.

I realize that in the workplace or other organizations we come across situations where we need ¨coaching¨. But coaching people and controlling people are 2 entirely different approaches. When we coach another human being, we are acknowledging their own desire to do well, to improve and increase in whatever they are putting their hand to.   A person who submits to coaching is aware of their own power to succeed or fail and is aiming for success. People who are success minded love to be coached, because they know it will provide increase in their lives. Coaching is empowering. Controlling is not.

Conversely, when we micromanage another human being, we are saying quite boldly that we do not trust their instincts, we do not trust their desire to improve and are circumventing their own autonomy with our own oppressive desire to control another human being.

If you have been blessed with a position of supervision, or management in any kind of organization,  I pray that you will choose the option of coaching rather than controlling. By choosing to coach you will be honoring the humanity and dignity of those you supervise.  What goes around always comes around. Sowing seeds of respect for other humans into your daily life breeds respect into your own future and the future of your loved ones. An atmosphere of dignity and honor has healing powers and brings peace to all who have the privilege of living in it.

Create an atmosphere of respect and consideration. Create an atmosphere where you sow kindness and gentle suggestions into an over controlled and over monitored generation. It´s really hard to turn back technology.  But you can choose honor and dignity and considerate kindness.

Peace,

Carla

When you Hear an Honest and Refreshing Perspective

99.999 percent of us are getting our sources of info from media of all sorts and formats.

When I sense that a certain writer or blogger or youtuber is truthful, I pay attention. I tend to bookmark those content creators and I often try to give a shoutout to some of them when I get the chance. 

I want to promote people who are interested in spin, or appeasing some kind of sponsor.

So, today I just wanted to mention a very very tiny thing I noticed about Mr Robin Greenfield.

He is a counter culture type of person who tries to live and exemplify a lifestyle with what he calls the ¨trappings¨ and lifestyle of modern man.

THis one thing I noticed that I have NEVER heard anyone talk about, is that in all the loud endorsements that folks have for recycling household tins and plastics, NO one has yet talked about the cost of cleaning this items to prepare for the recycling bin.

No one mentioned this UNTIL I heard Robin Greenfield speak about this.

He mentioned in one of his youtube videos that he was consciously thinking about how much water is used and/wasted during the process of washing out a food can before being able to toss it into a local blue or green recycling bin. WHO else do you know thinks like that???

Most of us think little about the cost of tap water, let alone how much tap water is used just to wash out a tin can or glass jar before placing it into our own recycling bins that collect the goods before we set them at the curb for city wide recyclable collection.

What do you think about that issue? Do you think it isn´t wasteful to use tap water to wash or rinse out all recyclable items before you place them in your recycle bin? Do you think that water is well used? Do you mind paying for that tap water that you use to wash out your recyclables?

Do tell. And by the way, if you have heard of anyone else who has mentioned this issue before? I would be curious to hear anyone else´s perspective on this cost of tap water that is a hidden cost of recycling which falls onto the shoulders of the homeowner.

Also if you are interested in learning a little more about Rob Greenfield´s way of looking out at the world.....here is his youtube moniker https://www.youtube.com/@Robin.Greenfield

Peacefully yours,

Carla

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Purple Sauerkraut.... Made Cheap and Easily at Home

Here are all the things I use to make my own casual batch of homemade purple sauerkraut:

3 large strong glass canning jars, with canning lids with rings.

3 Bowls or plastic trays to catch drips during fermentation

10 days of time is all I needed to reach the ideal taste and level of ferment for my home in Ontario Canada.

Non Iodized Pickling Salt

Pure reverse osmosis water

1 Large Fresh Purple Cabbage Head

Clear Plastic Sandwich bags.

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I chopped approximately half of the head of cabbage into fairly chunky bits about the size of a silver dollar.

I sprinkled the pickling salt on the cabbage after chopping it and massaged it into the cabbage. 

(note that if you are uncomfortable with using your instincts to measure the salt, you can use the 2% salt by weight formula....simply by weighing the chopped cabbage first and then adding 2% of that weight in pickling salt)

Then I packed it tightly  into the 3 large canning jars , packing it down with the end tip of a wooden spoon....trying to push out the air between the cabbage bits.  Then I added some pure water to cover all the cabbage in the jar. 

Now, here is the fun part. I learned this next part from watching youtube videos. I took a clear plastic sandwich bag and filled just one bottom corner of it with water and placed it while still open at the top on the cabbage to weight it down so that all the cabbage is weighed down under the brine water. Then I rolled the edges of the bag down over the lip of the jar and then I tool the metal ring and screwed it on top of the plastic bag just tight enough to keep the bag in place and provide a clean airtight seal on the jar of pickled cabbage.

Then I placed the jar carefully in a drip tray and put it into a dark wooden cabinet to ferment.

Every 2 or 3 days I would check on the jars and replace the drip tray with a clean one and replace the plastic bags with new fresh bags filled with more clean pure water to weight the cabbage down under the brine water.

The beauty of using those canning rings with just the water filled plastic bags to weigh down the cabbage, is that you don´t risk any dangerous gas buildup due to the fermentation .The plastic can stretch with the gas buildup and with  a drip tray the bubbling over will be caught and won´t damage your cabinet.

When I wanted to check it it was ripening well enough, I used my senses of taste and smell to see if I could identify the right level of ferment and saltiness. ( I added extra salt when I felt that the pickling process tasted too watery.

When I did my final taste test on the sauerkraut it had been 10 days since I had begun the ferment. 

I realize that this time frame is ideal for the temperature inside our home and the other factors such as the level of humidity and the ripeness of the cabbage etc.

I feel it is important when I make homemade fermented products like this, that I stay in tune with what  I taste and smell and feel about the product. Fermentation is sometimes unpredictable and you need to be willing to throw foods out if you feel that some kind of harmful bacteria has begun to sprout in your beloved fermented creation. (Moldy or unclean foods should not be used for making any kind of pickles or fermented products.)

This may seem obvious, but when making sauerkraut make sure that all your utensils and jars are spotlessly clean. If some stray bits of the cabbage stick to the edges or neck of your jar during the process, just take some paper towel and wipe them clean off the jar. Keep the neck and lip and lids of the jar as clean as possible. This will protect the ferment from unwanted bacteria.

The final step is to add the metal lid to the canning rings and put the fermented cabbage jar into the refridgerator for storage. Yumm!

Have you ever done any natural fermentation at home?

Do tell!

Peace,

Carla

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Overspending on Basics?

Sometimes when folks are in a bind.... they keep their low budget shopping very confidential. They think, of course, that they are the only ones who count their nickels when buying their basic needs. 

I am writing this post to remind you that the stores you shop in are GREATLY aware of the discounts and grand totals that you can afford. Stores don´t just market to the rich. Some stores yes, may market only to luxury shoppers, but there is a multitude of stores that are seeking the shopping dollars of those who shop frugally. 

A dollar is a dollar is a dollar. Retailers count dollars, not shoppers. They do not get bonus points for catering to rich clients. They get bonus points for being profitable, no matter who their customers are, they are OUT TO PROTECT THEIR PROFITS, nothing more and nothing less.

So, let me get to the point. I was shopping this week for some simple bath bars of soap. I was feeling like I didn´t want to overspend, so I thought, why don´t I check for a multipack of Ivory soap bars. Did you know I could not find any multi-packs online for Ivory soap at a certain large retailer for under 6 dollars Canadian? I could only find one little cream colored bar of soap (not Ivory) for $2.54. Canadian funds. 

The weight on the package was only 100 grams. I find that rather unusual. So, in my understanding, that particular retailer was taking advantage of the basic need for folks need for simple bars of soap, by refusing to offer a lower cost multipack, even if the brand of the soap was considered a low end brand.

So, friends that is where we may need to jot down some notes. When you begin to notice certain items being ¨controlled¨ in the marketplace with ¨higher than normal¨ pricing, take a few notes. Write down the quantity of what you are seeking ( the weight and/or volume) and the brand and the date you were shopping and what store you were in or what online retailer you were browsing.

The reason I pasted a photo of a jar of Canada Red pasta sauce in this post is for an example of what we can choose when we want to keep the cost of basics low and still get exactly what we need. 

A local retailer sells one jar of 640 ml of Canada Red pasta sauce for $2.77 in Canadian funds. 

In my estimation that is a reasonable price currently for a large jar of pasta sauce that is available within a reasonable distance from my residence.

Sometimes, it is helpful to get some concrete lists going of what you can buy and where for reasonable prices. Make your list easily accessible and stay organized. For example, maybe your local dollar store is a good place to buy table salt. Maybe you find that price to be better than at your local grocery store and you trust the brand that is on the label of table salt at that dollar store. Add that item to your list if you are satisfied with the value. 

Value is something that is often in the eye of the beholder...but there is wisdom in honoring your OWN sense of value and not being swayed by all the propaganda and marketing that modern retailers throw at us.

Honor your wallet and your own decision making skills and carve out a fabulous discipline of buying products that meet YOUR demands for quality and price and brand and availability.

Children do not have an innate understanding of value and money. It is a skill to develop as you mature and independently manage your funds. Writing down lists of items that meet YOUR requirements for quality, price and location is a great idea to help you and your family keep quality items in stock in your home.

That´s all for now. Congratulations on your endeavor to develop personal discipline with your money and overcoming the outside influences that may tempt you to spend more than you want to. 

Peace and productivity,

Carla

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Adapt or Die (Full Episode) | Life Below Zero

Life Below Zero---one of my favorite northern reality shows.

I am always delighted when I am able to catch an episode, old or new of this series.

I respect characters who are proud of their survival skills and the traditions that go along with that mastery.

Some of the characters in this series, such as Sue Aikens, explain to the viewers how they crave the extreme isolation. They love the challenge of it, and the ability to manage their own lives and livelihood in their own style.

I don´t think I have ever actually met someone so extreme and independent as Sue Aikens, but perhaps some of my dutch relatives, past or present might disagree. I was raised by strong dutch work ethic and the strength of character that defines someone who refuses to give up and never gives in, when faced with an obstacle.

Do you enjoy these Life Below Zero episodes? What do you learn from watching them beat the odds?

Do tell,

the comment section is always open to you.

Peace,

Carla

The Ability to Seek and Serve God

Twas thinking again..... I like to do that once in a while.

Was thinking about how it´s hard for some of us in this modern society to be able to seek God. We just don´t necessarily have a frame work in our current society for what that means. What does it mean to seek God? How do I know how?

And so, in prayer today, I was praying for someone. That someone has an incredible capacity to live large, to give their all to a strongly held belief. That person needs the peace of God.

We may be able to do a lot of things in life.....to accomplish great feats of strength and beauty. But what is the hallmark of someone who knows how to connect with God their Maker? What happens to a person externally when other people can sense that person loves God? Is loving God the same as serving Him?

I don´t know much. But I would say, that when I cross paths with someone I suspect of having a close walk with God, I notice that they are usually not very talkative. They have a quiet inner knowing of the world of the Spirit. They don´t seem to feel the need to compete for attention or get awards and trophies for what they have done in this life. They seem to have an air about them which steers us towards the future, a future where God is. They don´t have a pressing need for any particular material item. They have a contentedness in their smile and patience in their tone.

Well friends, not sure what the purpose of this post is, other than to encourage those of you who are stubbornly praying for someone who has yet to yield to God. I want to encourage you not to be discouraged. Don´t give up. Don´t feel like you are wasting your time. Earnest prayer for another human being is never wasted. Prayer is an extremely valuable expenditure of time.

It may be, that when you are praying, you may need to be asking God to give that person on your prayer list, to be given the ability  to seek and serve God. It may not come naturally for some folks. 

Ask God to stir up in that person a love for Jesus. Ask God to reveal Jesus to that person. Ask God to stir up a desire for the Word of God and the ability to understand it. Ask God to lead righteous people into their path. And if you get tired of the burden of prayer, ask God to raise up intercession for that person. You need not bear this burden alone.

Sometimes we do not know how to pray. Sometimes we do not know what it will take before we see a breakthrough in someone´s life. Some folks have thick walls built around many layers of their life. It is only the mystery of God that will unravel that fortress. It is not your responsibility to unravel a person. In fact, it might be perceived as downright nosy to try to ¨figure out¨ how someone is supposed to come to God.

It is not my place to oversee anyone´s journey with or towards God. It is only my duty to pray until I see or sense a breakthrough......a proverbial connection between a human being and his/her Creator. I can not walk in another person´s shoes towards God. But I certainly can bring a person´s name in prayer to God in heaven so that God will move obstacles out of their path to joy and peace and wholeness.

Resist, my friends, the desire to understand all that God is doing in a human being´s life. We do not need to understand all of God´s ways. We rarely do.

 We simply must trust and pray. Pray and persist in prayer until you see and sense the breakthrough. Pray until you sense the peace that only comes when a person has peace with God their Saviour.

Well, my friends, that is all.

Be well and enjoy this beautiful evening, wherever you may be.

Peace,

Carla.