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<h3><strong>SUSTAINABLE UPGRADES</strong></h3>
<h3><br>
<a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-1">Part 1</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-2">Part 2</a> <a href="https://steemit.com/love/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-3">Part 3</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-4">Part 4</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-5">Part 5</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-6">Part 6</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-7">Part 7</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-8">Part 8</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-9">Part 9</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-10">Part 10</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-birthday-intermission">Birthday Intermission</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-11">Part 11</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-12">Part 12</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-13">Part 13</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-14">Part 14</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-15">Part 15</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-16">Part 16</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-17">Part 17</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-18">Part 18</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-19">Part 19</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-part-20">Part 20</a> <a href="https://busy.org/@everlove/challenging-love-to-be-unconditional-intermission-no-2">Intermission No. 2 </a><a href="r">Part 21</a><br>
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<img src="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/1915317_1246155321367_1248510_n.jpg?_nc_cat=111&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=d282ee409c06c522115e15df0dc5c8c6&oe=5CF11B73" width="604" height="453"/></h3>
<p><em>Before I got together with Quinn, I laid this mosaic brick patio myself from remnants of a church marquis that was tumbled. I added bits of interesting things I found, I created smaller mosaics from broken pottery, and filled in the holes with aquarium gravel, pea gravel, lemon grass, thyme, mint, sage, hyacinths, pansies and oxalis.<br>
</em></p>
<p><br>
<strong>As time went on, Quinn starting taking responsibility for handling things with regard to the house as they would arise. </strong></p>
<p><br>
<strong>He began to realize the expenses I was incurring just to maintain the life I had created, and was floored at what it took to run this household. Though I had already lightened my load after my marriage ended by getting rid of some insurance policies and the like, I didn’t use paper towels, I hung my clothes on the line, I kept the tv and lights around the house to a minimum, I mowed my own yard, cleaned my own house and the like, Quinn still brought in a whole new level of sustainability. </strong></p>
<p><br></p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/61123_1574114800149_2108215_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=125d2016ce2a08dcbada5ed8ca838b8e&oe=5CE1B56B" width="480" height="720"/></p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>Getting a job that would interfere with our free life or obligate us to make money never crossed our minds and was completely out of the question. But simplifying did made sense since we both really enjoyed the simple things in life the most anyway, and were very low maintenance. Besides, just being together was the most enjoyable part, so everything else was bonus.</strong><br>
</p>
<p><br></p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/61016_1574114360138_1586366_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=37a6ea55d86d718ad917d7a86d22bdd4&oe=5CF4DD21" width="480" height="720"/></p>
<p><br></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>The monthly bill I once paid for electricity was quite frequently over $300, and if we had guests up stairs, it could be almost double. We started lowering the thermostat (and eventually turning off the unit), covering the windows with cold blocking fabrics and spent most of our time doing art or massaging each other near the wood burning stove or fireplace in the winter. We cooled off in the summer with wet rags around our necks, wearing little clothing and just a ceiling fan instead of a/c.<br>
</strong></li>
<li><strong>I cancelled my cable service which was essentially only being used by my children a few times a month.<br>
</strong></li>
<li><strong>We made an investment in a well to water my garden and hook up to the outdoor shower, which lowered the water bill and lowered our exposure to chemicals.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><br></p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/73472_1649466083884_6177757_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=14c638fc78352c0eb21bbff89ac19d1f&oe=5CF5484B" width="720" height="480"/></p>
<p><br></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>We went out into the world as little as possible, and any trips we did make were consolidated into as few trips as possible, minimizing the use and wear and tear on the car, and the expense of fuel. We would make a point to always get the lowest cost for fuel, and we would also stop by every coffee shop on our route and pick up coffee grounds for the compost.<br>
</strong></li>
<li><strong>We unplugged the water fountains.</strong><br>
</li>
</ul>
<p><br></p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/62773_1574161761323_157697_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=f5666791be3ffac1e451ca7460077538&oe=5D217007" width="480" height="720"/></p>
<p><br></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>We turned the heat down in the hot tub in the winter and off in the summer.</strong><br>
</li>
<li><strong>We cooked on the wood burning stove.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><br></p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/1915317_1246155401369_3332245_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=8612db574d2af9e3686b6779fe53d5c4&oe=5CDD4D00" width="453" height="604"/></p>
<p><br></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>We minimized our use of lights by doing activities that required a lot of light during the day, and used candles and oil lamps at night---oh so sexy! Since we were always in the same room anyway, we only needed one light.</strong><br>
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</li>
</ul>
<p><img src="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/1915317_1246165161613_3484828_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=359cbcfe248a16fdda62c260aaafc717&oe=5CEA56F6" width="453" height="604"/></p>
<p><br></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>We invested in a water filter to replace the 5 gallon jugs of water I was purchasing.<br>
<br>
</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><img src="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/1915317_1246201602524_836590_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=3fa596d2ccba4b01e0ea54b4729d5b12&oe=5D26DD7C" width="453" height="604"/></p>
<p><br></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>We disconnected our security system.<br>
</strong></li>
<li><strong>We enhanced my already prolific family garden.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p><br></p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/1915317_1246201642525_3109587_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=6dd26c6a18ece340cb53961d95f74f78&oe=5D27E7E7" width="604" height="453"/></p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>Quinn was not a spender or an expense. He actually didn’t care about money at all (especially making it and spending it), and purposely lived without it as much as possible. If anything Quinn was a saver and an asset. When something would get broken, he would fix it himself, even if he had to improvise or find another way. If something needed to be purchased he would search until he found the very best deal, and would buy local or from a family instead of a big corporation when possible. </strong></p>
<p><br></p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/60836_1574163241360_6130317_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=db206c70e34b09e46fc30ccd7b69f737&oe=5CE49782" width="720" height="480"/></p>
<p><br></p>
<p><strong>Because he walked into my world, many of his needs were met by what I already provided myself, and the money that he saved me with the sustainable upgrades he instigated cut the costs for all of us, and way more than paid for his meager consumption. Quinn saved me way more than he cost me for sure! His help was tangibly more valuable than money could buy because he was so strong, capable, competent, inspired, ingenius, clever, a go-getter, a doer and was always moving forward! When he engages life, he does it with same intensity with which he will look you in the eye. He was really giving me a blessing, and the awareness he brought to my life about these things and way more, was priceless!</strong></p>
<p><br></p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/74875_1649512725050_986147_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=a0696de723f976426da1d7671bf2b853&oe=5CE3BF91" width="720" height="480"/></p>
<p><br></p>
<p><img src="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/67175_1699618817671_3401118_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=eb166552463d7bb96134e076d737d0e3&oe=5CEC28F1" width="480" height="720"/></p>
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<p><img src="https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/163824_1706311504984_4745421_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=3c4e88dc44063c74b6924b2befcab428&oe=5CEB1E9D" width="480" height="720"/></p>
<p><br></p>
<p><em><strong>I had been paying for my life for so long, it felt weird to be letting go of some of these things. Paying bills became such a normal part of life that it almost just became automatic to be spending so much.</strong></em></p>
<p><br>
<em><strong>I had finally gotten to the point in my life where I was grateful that I could easily pay for my consumer lifestyle - though I was MUCH more frugal than my friends. Quinn brought the awareness that one of the secrets to a physically sustainable life is not in making more money to pay for the things we consume, but to consume less so we have to earn less money to upkeep our lives. We become less taxing on the earth too, and have more time and energy to invest in the things that really matter. It's a win for everyone.</strong></em></p>
<p><br>
<em><strong>I realized that sustainability was not just about lowering our carbon footprint on the earth, but ideally applied to relationships, education, parenting and every other facet of life. I was beginning to see the bigger picture, realizing it’s all the same thing no matter what subject we were talking about. If it can’t sustain itself, it’s doomed sooner or later, to failure.</strong></em></p>
<h2><br></h2>
<h2>Go with me on the journey toward Unconditional Love!<br>
</h2>
<h3><em>Stay Tuned for Part 23</em></h3>
<h3><br></h3>
<p><img src="https://steemitimages.com/0x0/https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://s6.postimg.org/ind2skcs1/Untitled_drawing_9.jpg" width="640" height="342"/></p>
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