Dumpster Resolutions.

I absolutely cannot believe how fast 2011 snuck up on us!  The worst part is, I remember being shocked when 2000 was quickly approaching.  As I do every year, I have made lists and lists of resolutions for every area and region of my life.  I am a bit of an overachiever, I admit it.  I am going to try to narrow down a few into a "Dumpster Resolutions" List, I have big plans involving dumpsters this year!

Diving

• Dumpster dive more often, dive more food, introduce more people to diving, donate wayy more food to friends, families in need, shelters, etc. 
• Have more dumpster get togethers, dumpster feasts, dumpster goods trades, dumpster goods yard sales, freesales, lots of bartering and trading, continue to be as generous as possible with the dumpster goods!
• be less controlling about what I eat.  I think this is a huge part of diving, we are so controlling about what we eat, but God will provide everything we need, we just have to go get it!
• dont pay for any food ever, regardless of the circumstances, unless it is an absolute emergency and that is pretty much never.  This is America.
• introduce more people to diving whether it be through talking about diving, telling people about it, publicity and media, this blog, or actually taking them!  More importantly, create awareness for WHY we dive.  Awareness of waste, awareness of unnacceptable policies, awareness of hunger and other related issues. 
• Create a bigger more intricate network of dumpster divers, people interested in the concept, people who support, people who can benefit, people I can feed, and people to dive with. 
• Continue to get more creative with my dumpster goods: Santa was generous enough to bring me a blender and dehydrator for Christmas.  Lets start the insanity.  Get better at preserving, composting, sharing, donating, making art, finding household uses, and other creative uses for my amazing and epic finds. 

Randoms

• Get better with my gardening. Kind of a tough time of year, but hey, Im determined.
• Stop playing around with and permanently go through with the "No Poo" regimine.  No more Shampoo and no more conditioner.  Ive been waiting to use up my Shampoo, but I might just use it for bubble bath and officially quit.  But more about No Poo in another post.
• Catch up on all my Green Reading that Im behind on!
• Complete the Gorgeously Green 8step program. More on this later.
• Become More Green.  You can never be too green.
• Take less Baths.  Ive become addicted to baths for years now due to muscle soreness, etc.  It wastes too much water and Ive spoiled myself! 
• Step up my game on dumpster recycling,  meaning rescue more recyclables from the dumpster rather than leaving it behind and letting it take the sad journey to the landfill. 

• ART
• never purchase any art materials, use art materials I have, or can find, or borrow, continue to dive for materials at places that have been fruitful, find new places to dive art materials, continue making art out of trash, and dont throw anything away that can be used for art. which is pretty much anything and everything, which is why Ive been called a hoarder.  but im supremely creative and innovative, so give me a break!
• continue building a network of other artists and freegans who make art, who will make art with me, trade supplies with me, display and love my work, and support me in my artistic efforts.  An artist commune if you will. (Valerie : D )
• Find ways to make money off of my art.  Find ways to donate my art. 

Nows a good time to introduce you to a wonderful friend and artist I met recently through urban ministry, his name is William Pomphrey, he makes beautiful works of art from trash and random discarded items he finds, he makes intricate models of WWII warships. He has great character, and I think God wanted me to meet him.  I was blessed to be able to go to the event on campus of urban ministrys choir.  It was one of the most beautiful nights  my ears ever experieced.  Voices blessed by God.  and this mans hands are blessed by God as well. I definately admire him as an artist!  He had an engineering, artistic, innovative mind, and he was able to sell one of his ships for $5000!  He told me that last time we spoke that the ship he sold was about 4 feet and that he was working on and 8footer that would take him around a year.  I am so proud of him.  Unfortunately, I was unable to locate his article and pictures on the Charlotte Observer site, I think its been moved, but If I find them, I will definately post them!

This is a lot of goals, but they are all things I plan to work on in the future.  I never plan to stop the dumpster indulgence, unless one day there is nothing usable in dumpsters.  But honestly? I dont think that day will ever come. I plan to make gradual progress on this diving journey, and I will keep you updated along the way!! : )


I cant believe how fast everything spread.
Heres the link for if you google my name, charlotte, and dumpster diving. Tons of Hits. : ) Jus spreadin the love around.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=stephanie+braun+charlotte+dumpster+diving&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

The Hoover Maneuver

     I came across the amazing opportunity to go on a mission trip to Mexico during the Spring Break of 2009 with United Christian Fellowship, and I seized it.  I felt called by God to go, my first flight, my first out of country experience(besides Canada and when I went you didnt even need a passport), my first mission trip, an introduction to a new world.  It was a life-changing trip and I will never be the same.  This trip redirected my life in hundreds of ways.  On this trip, we stayed in villagers houses in the small Mexican towns.  These people offered their homes to us, their beds, and fed us.  We did construction, building a camp for kids in the towns to come learn about Jesus.  We taught bible school to the children in Spanish and we visited poor, sick, and struggling community members and families.  We taught the children in a small school.  We did free dental work to people who could not afford dentistry.  In exchange for our work, we were  housed and fed.  And boy, were we fed.  As poor college kids, most of us were not used to having large quantities of free food all around us. 

 We were not used to hot meals.  We were not accustomed to baskets of fruit available to us 24 hours a day filled with the sweetest fruit we had ever tasted.  I had exchanged about 50 American dollars for Pesos at the airport, but ended up hardly spending any money the entire week.  The only time I spent money was to purchase a few tiny inexpensive souvenirs at the market and two trips to restaurants for group outings.  Besides these, the entire week was free aside from money spent on the flight.  "What a way to live", I thought.  Exchanging our labor, talents, strengths, and compassion for our basic needs being completely fulfilled.  Living a life style in close relationship with God, and being taken care of completely while doing so.  I wondered what it would be like when I got back to the states and I didnt have this lifestyle. 

Where everyone around me wasnt living for God, where my basic needs were barely met, where my strengths and talents were mostly overlooked, where I had to live my life hustling just to have a roof and a somewhat full and satisfied belly.  I met a close friend of mine on this trip.  I met a lot of close friends actually.  One of which was Brenden Hoover.  This kid was fun, and spontaneous, focused on God and the mission, hardworking, and very relaxed with a great sense of humor.  The perfect friend to meet on a mission trip.  We realized we had many friends in common and very similar lives back home, we were shocked we hadnt already met before the trip.  One of the things we immediately bonded on was the  food.  Everything we tasted was phenomenal.  And free.  We ate as much as we could, as often as we could.  Absorbing the Mexican culture and tasting the free rewards of our labors.  It was heavenly and we were so spoiled.  Hoover proudly confessed that he hadnt paid for food in 70 days.  And he had decided to stop paying for food so he could pay for the Mexico trip. But how? I wondered.  Apparently he lived a Kramer kind of life. 

 He ate free food at events on campus, mooched off friends and their leftovers, and went anywhere where anything was free.  I did this as well, but Brenden had this expertise about it, he had honed the skill.  NOT paying for food, to afford more missions.  Brilliant.  I decided after struggling to afford the flight, and after eating so well all week, I just couldnt go back to my old lifestyle.  I wouldnt work my life away to pay for horrible, cheap, non-nutritious food all the time.  I was already one of the cheapest people I know, but food seemed like one of those things you just HAVE to pay for.  So I made the conscious decision to strategize better and quit paying for food.  

When we got back to Charlotte we constantly texted eachother and let eachother know about any activities or events happening on campus that supplied free food and we traded and mooched off eachother.  We incorporated and encouraged our mission-mates and friends to join in on the shenanigans.  We quickly and easily developed a network of innovative, cheap, hungry and poor friends.  Soccer games with free tshirts, specials at chikfila, events with free snacks, handouts on campus, care packages, friends dinner parties, Brenden even came to a feminist union film about water births for some free cake and fruit.  It was great.  It had a positive impact on my budget, and honestly?  I loved the adventure.  I was scavenging.  It was a blast.  Just a few steps closer in my quest for total food freedom.  <3