In 1949, a Swedish engineer named Curt Lindquist created a material which was made of fiber and cotton and could absorb water quickly.He turned this new material into dishcloths which have been available in Europe ever since, and now they are gaining ground in Canada.

I love microfiber cleaning cloths, but I stopped buying them when I started cutting down on plastic and things containing chemicals. I had heard that Swedish dishcloths would replace traditional towels, but I didn't see how they could be much better than my regular cotton dish towels. At that time, the company Swedish Wholesale sent me a sample pack of 10 to have a try and I am really kind of gobsmacked—they perform really well and are of great use. The ones are hard at first, but get soft once they are wet. They are made in Europe, which means they aren't exactly a local product.

The best part of dishcloths may be that they are completely biodegradable. The ones I got are made of biodegradable plant­based fiber and cotton. After innocent spills and wiping up water, I just wash mine out in the sink and squeeze them well, and then let them dry on the dish rack. But for more intensive washing, they can go into the washing machine or dishwasher.They are much less likely to give shelter to bacteria compared to traditional dishcloths because of their unique composition.

I have been using mine for about a month, and I'm curious to see how long the pack will last, but so far they have been satisfactory. I worried that they would just be something I would have to throw out at the end of their lives, but that they can be composted, which is a key factor, makes a big difference. I will report back after more time has passed, but for now I can't imagine going back to everything else.

Living alone in nature is the kind of decision that looks great on paper. You could move away from the pressures of city life, to somewhere with a lower cost of living and more privacy. You could enjoy scenic views all year round, and adopt a simpler way of life. It’s not hard to see the appeal of this at all. But what happens when that all goes wrong?

Paul Kingsnorth is a distinguished writer—his novel The Wake was longlisted for the Booker Prize and won the Gordon Burn Prize. His books help develop an awareness of place and history, so it’s not hugely surprising that his latest book, Savage Gods, is about his own rural existence. Savage Gods is in part about Kingsnorth, his wife, and their children moving to western Ireland. He writes, “In my country a small house and a field is beyond the means of anyone who doesn’t earn much money or who refuses to get into debt to chase a dream.” It’s a feeling that anyone who’s looked longingly at rural tiny houses miles from anyone else can relate to.

But Kingsnorth is aware that this is only part of the story. “Because I am not a real farmer, I have to make my money in other places,” he writes, “I need the Internet or the Dublin-to-Holyhead ferry and sometimes both to put food on my family’s table.” To make matters worse, Kingsnorth’s isolation(隔离) results in a crisis of confidence in his own writing abilities—which becomes one of the central themes of Savage Gods.

Kingsnorth isn’t the only writer to make time spent in a vivid countryside landscape sound less enjoyable than one might expect. The French writer Sylvain Tesson takes this to what may be its most extreme point in his book. He lived alone for six months. His book includes impressive descriptions of the landscape and what it’s like to experience depression in the middle of such a landscape.

Some books neatly remind you of the appeal of such an existence, while others make the drawbacks central to their accounts. In Names for the Sea, Moss summarizes the attraction of wilder places. “We’d come for the landscape, for the pale nights and dark shores, rain sweeping over trees and bushes,” she writes. From that, it’s not hard to see why a life in nature—even with its potential downsides—still appeals to so many.

Life is full of surprises and events that sometimes change one’s daily routine. Some of them might be good and pleasant. 【小题1】 The unexpected events may cause you anxiety and stress. So you need to find some ways to be less affected by them.

【小题2】 Even if you live the same kind of life, doing the same things day after day, there could be unexpected events. So you need to realize that such events can’t be avoided and you need to be prepared for them. In this way, you’ll find it easier to deal with whatever happens in your life.

Have a positive attitude. Not all unexpected events are bad. 【小题3】 For example, even getting fired for work could finally turn out well, as you might find a more satisfying job.

Always focus on the present moment, learning from it and making use of new changes that come your way. In other words, make the most of the present moment, instead of thinking about what you lost, or how bad the situation is. 【小题4】

Introduce small changes into your life. 【小题5】 You can try eating a different breakfast or drink tea in the morning instead of coffee, or do things that you usually do, but in a different way.