Last weekend I learned that the cabin where I will be living for the next six weeks has no running water, a composted toilet out of doors and an outdoor shower. In short, I completely panicked, got mad and went into a kind of tailspin which amazed me. I had a "hissy fit" as we used to say in the south! It was embarrassing what a spoiled brat I became instantly with this news.
I am an environmental educator, proponent of sustainable living and the writer's residency at the cabin supports writing a novel describing how Americans learn to live in harmony with nature's ways! I never dreamed I would be among the Super Whiners until I was caught by surprise that I get to live this experience for the next six weeks!
Some, previously unknown part of me, a prima dona busy polishing her nails and sipping her soy latte, came rushing out into the light with "What!" She jumps up and throws open the door indignantly. "No running water! How can I brush my teeth, wash a dish... you don't expect me to camp out the whole time do you? And an outhouse?! Get real!" she screamed. Visions of dirty dishes piled helter skelter in a pan, underwear drapped from every chair, tripping through the cold night to the privy where a coiled rattlesnack awaits...stream like a B-rated comedy through her mind. Priscilla became seriously decomposed!
Here is Priscilla's vision of the composted toilet:
Priscilla is the product of the consumer society, a renegade figure with arms crossed and feet planted with a firm "Not me, no way Jose!"
Was I a complete FAKE? Where did this gut wrenching, fear-filled reaction come from? It was like my Priscilla persona had been insulted or even punished.
Later, as I tried to understand myself and examine my own lifestyle (which I always considered conservative in terms of water and power use) I realized how stuck I am on conveniences that I just take for granted and that Priscilla believes are absolutely necessary to carry-on a "decent life". About 75% of the human race does not live decently according to Priscilla.
Then it occurred to me how funny this was...the universe once again was serving up the only kind of experience I seem to have when the lesson I need to learn is hard: throw me into it! I get to know some of my book's characters by discovering them in me! I get to know them inside out by feeling all the fear, anger, revulsion and irritability many Americans may feel if and when the water stops running, the lights go off and we have to unplug ourselves from an unsustainable lifestyle.
So...Composted, my new blog. Here I will record my experience chopping wood, hauling water and pooping in the moonlight like my ancestors. I have no idea what this will be like. I would have never chosen to have this experience. I could just let Priscilla reign supreme, but I will not. Instead, I am going to take her by the hand and we are going down the privy path to see what's there. This is not Priscilla's vision of how we will be living in the distant future. She is hoping climate change will be a short seasonal variation and technology will learn to make it all go away...honey, pass me the massage cream.
Priscilla is very unhappy right now but resigned to the situation. She is trying to pack and has come up with a series of the most creative excuses about how we can save face: My 89 year old father just had a stroke... it's just not the right setting for me right now...I need to stay in Tucson to do more research, the timing is not right. Very sorry, I have to postpone the experience...forever!
The next segment of the adventure will be on site staring down at the real composted toilet, an experience Priscilla compares to Armageddon. Join us on August 25 for all the gory details.
20 comments:
Priscilla, don't forget to hang a flashlight near the "toilette de composte" so you can peer into the pit and make sure there are no snakes. ;-)
Dear She Who Paints,
I can't say your advice fills me with conviction as I go to my Waterloo (pardon the pun). But I will take your advice. The last thing I want this adventure to be is a pain in the aspen!
Priscilla,
Your adventure will soon start. I know you will rise to the challenge of life without running water and composting toilets. After all that is what the story is about. You will be living a life similiar to that of your book world.
Dear Tony,
Thanks for the encouragement. This surely will be quite the adventure. I am taking not music, no printer...just the laptop and the books I need for research.
Yesterday I bought a French press coffee maker at Target and made delicious coffee this morning.
It will definitely be a learning experience! Well, gulp...here I go!
Priscilla, Resolved
Priscilla,
I thought about your adventure while watching this old house. Funny thing was they working on an old adobe house in Taos. In an effort to build this home in accourdance with local history they were going all over to look at other homes. One of the places they went to was a home known as an "Earthship", I actually remember reading about this house in an old Mother Earth Magazine. The earth ship is completely self contained. Built of rammed earth, sunken into the ground for better insulation, complete water harvesting, 100% solar power, and composting toilets.
It also featured sunked flower and vegatable gardens. these sunken gardens would collect rain water, as well as snow and the morning dew, all to utilize less water on plants.
It was amazing. Hopefully you can include an earthship in your book.
Priscilla, Are you thier yet?? how is it??
The picture of the out door toilet is very modern we had one that had gunny sacks nailed to the frame work as walls it was bright and airy during the summer and cold as all get out in the winter. When the nights get colder you'll appreciate that pot under the bed we talked about. The more modern ones had as many as three holes my aunt had a bar called Rose's Cantina and she had a three holer, it was great. One of my biggest fears as a child was of falling in. Thier you were with your little bum just hanging in the air over this big hole, your finger gipping on the frame work next to your knees, in fear of loosing your grip and falling in. Little one in the modern world fear getting wet and falling so far. But that black hole seemed endless.
So when the multi holes came out it was great, you could sit relax had a firm fit and not so much of that fear of falling in. Oh thier was still some fear but not like when you sat in the big hole.
Just a word of caution, I don't know how yours is set up but, we always had spiders and wasps making a home on the underside of the seat. So we always took a stick and ran it indside the hole to clear out and spiders webs that may have appeared. Or we would take a section of paper roll it up like a tube and light one end on fire with a match and then run it inside the hole to clear out any unwanted spider or whatevers that lurked under thier.
Always look before you enter especally if the door had been left open, remeber you are in a world of nature and servival is a natural instinct, the corner inside the half moon house is a place of warmth and protection from the outdoors. So always look before you enter. Here is a list of normal out house supplies.
1.Matches- for clearing spider webbs and as a courtesty.
2.Catalog,or old magazines- for clearing out spider webbs or emergnancy if your run out of paper. It is very helpfull if you wad up the paper and scrunch it around first. It softens it!!
3.long stick for clearing webs or worting off any unwanted visiters.
The best part of this will be the smell of the early morning crispness, the sounds of nature. the thought that you are thier just like the indians, & pioneers.
Think about what you would do if you had to build the place you are staying in. How would you do it? could you do it if you had to? What would you use to build it with?
I believe Prissy is going to be relieved to find her new reality... She is going to be just fine, thank you very much! After all, she's been through the SunDance School of Life!
Can't wait for the next entry!
:-)Bettina
Hi Priscilla,
I was just thinking how wonderful it would be to be in a place with no outside distractions. No worries about interuptions ect... To be able to walk out the front door and smell the junipers, breath, have a clear head and time.
Sometimes conviences are not convenient.
Priscilla,
just a thought. Certain religious groups will have a "leg up" on the rest of us if an apocolyptic event happens. Within their teaching's the LDS church requires a each family to keep in stock a three year supply of food.
These folks have the capacity to out last most of us every day Joe's.
The Amish and Pennyslvanian Dutch currently live without many services and produce all they use with mainly non-mechanical means.
I bet they even use composting toilets of a very different make and model.
Hope the book is going well.
Priscilla,
Not only are you living the reality of your books but you are going through the same emotional and mental challenges of someone thrust into the position of a character of your book. How perfect a plan. You will know first hand what the folks in your book will soon expewrience.
Wow, I just breezed into the Taos library to return a wonderful tape of Frank Water reading from The Man Who Killed the Deer. If you have not read it, get it on Amazon, you can get used copies. It is a very powerful story that is still pertinent for Tucson.
And I found all these wonderful emails.
Ysabel, your instructions are not to be forgotten. First thing I thought was maybe the match might cause an explosion! Oh, well, inexpensive heat if you live through it.
This commode had three drawer. The top one holds "the contents". It is actally a drum that rotates so you can mix in peat moss and aerate it twice a week. The drum below it is a drawer that you can pull out and dump, hopefully when the microbes have cleaned up the matter and turned it into soil.
The way bottom holds a heating element and vacuum that sucks out the fumes and dries up any liquid. so the whole thing is odorless but it does require an electrical element to to do the drying and vacuum.
Ysie, now however, I know what I can do with the old Chronical of Philanthropy mags at the food bank. Save them for my three holer at the new house I am going to build.
Keep the comments and memories coming, I can see a new publication coming on: Composted the In's and Out's of Living Sustainably!
PS The Frank Waters Foundation is awesome. I hike after writing for 6 hours and meet up with friendly horses, and sheep and even Buddhist Temples in the hills around the place.
Gotta go I am timing out on the computer. Love you all.
Stay tuned for the report on Mt. Everest.
Prissy
Beautifully landscapes, horses and sheep, what more could you ask for.
Composting comode, sustainable transportation (Horse's) and sweaters on the hoof. Rain glorious rain, trees and green grass. Priscilla has a lot to be thankful for when she visits the local temple.
Priscilla,
I read and I laugh at your adventures. It is an understanding laugh, I would warn you that I have worked diligently to keep your desk free and clear so that you may come back refreshed and ready for the real world. I look forward to October when I will be taking a few days off for an adventure into my family's history and roots with a trip to the family cemetary in Detroit.
With the outdoor comode becoming a non-issue what challenges await?
Dear "Anonymous Who is Keeping My Desk Clear"
I love you!
But, who are you? Let me guess, could it be Marie? Thanks for the encouragement. I think I will start my own composting business when I return. Talk about evolution!
Gratefully,
Priscilla Unbound
Priscilla,
You will have to guess again. Marie, commented to day she has been impressed with the way I have been able to work both my current job and help keep you somewhat caught up.
Everything has been handled, complete with notes for you and all that really remains is for you to review and file.
I will be leaving CFB today to travel to Phx, I will become a certified grant writer by this time
next week. ASU will be doing the certification.
So much happening here can't wait till your back so that we can share.
TB
ylp
Priscilla,
Your check came back!!! Please advise.
Hope things are going well for you, sounds like it.
Ysabel
Dear TB,
Hey thanks for keeping up with things. Yes, I am definitely looking forward to learning about all the great work you are doing. Have we heard on any grants yet?
Susan, aka Priscilla
P.S. The composting has listed to just okay. It is definitely an art to get it right. Some grizzly surprises. I think I am done with it! See you Oct. 2
PS I OWE YOU. Plan on at least a meal out.
Susan
food security has a new Presbitiarian student who is on a mission. Phillip, phillip shared the other day that they home they are staying in (8 college aged students on mission, 2 guys and six girls) also have a composting toilet in the house they live in. They too are learning the ins and outs (literally) of a composting toilet. The gentleman have agreed that they need to pee outside so that the compost is not overly watered.
So you too are not alone in this adventure.
TB
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