Unmet Expectations

     There is nothing more disappointing than watching something you've been working on for weeks, go up in smoke....Nothing more disappointing than anticipating... looking forward to something you've poured heart and soul into, going flat out bust. (Wait. I take that back. There is something more disappointing. It's when you've invested that time and energy into someONE. There is nothing more disappointing than when someone you thought you could count on, lets you down.)
     Sure, it happens. You see it in business all the time. But when your business and your personal go hand in hand...when your partners are like family, let's just say it packs an extra punch to the gut.
     Here of late I've seen a lot of board rooms; I've been involved more meetings than usual. The business side of my world (i.e. the part that pays my bills) is suddenly filled with entrepreneurial types taking (what appears to be) a sudden interest in the sorts of things I've been doing and writing about for the past 2 -3 years, with my garden, critters and creations. Granted, I love this farm life, and I plan to stay. But it turns out, what I embraced as a new chapter, born of a gnawing, internal desire to step back, hole up, figure out my life, (while documenting the journey) others see as trend-worthy, marketable...i.e. the future.
     While flattered that business types see potential in what they call "sustainable living' to me it's personal. So it stands to reason I'm going to weigh things with a little more heart despite what business numbers and market trends might suggest, (though don't get me wrong, I take these things seriously too).
     It comes as no surprise to me, this growing interest in sustainable living. Call it the environmental right thing, call it health-driven or call it common sense, somewhere deep inside seems others too, are sensing we can't keep up the facade without repercussion. I have been careful in wording these blogs not to lean into doomsday scenarios or "prepper" theories, for in truth, that is not what brought me to this table. But I will say I hear from these folks...often. And you'd be surprised to find how very everyday and ordinary they are. (They just have food and water stored alongside their generators, and  like me, want to know how to grow and store more should the situation call for it.)
     It doesn't take a rocket scientist to spot that the US economy is not that stable; and despite our thinking that what's happening in Greece is their problem, it is not. It is a global problem, and one that governments can't keep bailing out without it coming from somewhere. And while investor types come at this self-sustaining wave with impressive research to back it, what I have is a gut feel, based on paying attention to one life (namely my own)--taking note as I go.
     My market research consists of increases in emails from people I barely know wanting to know how much land it takes. I'm noticing more hits on FB when it comes to certain topics...The number of folks reaching out personally, asking questions about growing their own or wanting to come visit and experience first hand, has started to take up larger and larger portions of my working day, so much so, that we are now making plans to walk you through things via video blog next go round.
     As a matter of spiritual philosophy, I'm a big believer that if you seek, you will find...if you knock, doors will open. (I'm also a big believer that when one door closes, a better one awaits, especially when what you've been asking is to be protected from those who might be there for the wrong reasons. I'm big on asking for protection.) It is also my belief that God protects those who seek to make use of the talents they've been given, provided they're doing it for good and not just selfish gain. And it's been my experience that the sooner I can forgive, the sooner my energy can return to its normal creative flow. (As it turns out, the same energy it takes to process disappointment, is the same energy you need to create new solutions or entirely new projects all together.)
     It was not for thinking of doomsday scenarios that led me to ask "What matters most in my life?" It was a spiritual search that led me to question, "If I am going to invest my time and energy into something for good, what will it be and who am I best working with to make it happen?" for it is also my belief that we are only as good, productive, successful (pick your adjective) as those we surround ourselves with, and for me, trustworthiness tops that list. I want to surround myself with people who share my vision for helping others...people who want the best and highest good not just for themselves, but for those around them, and for others who can benefit in the grander scheme of things.
     You can plan till the cows come home for what you'd do in the event of a crisis. But meanwhile life is lived in the day to day, and fortunately, the day to day gives us ample opportunity to see things for what they are. Any soldier will tell you the buddy who winds up with you in your foxhole is as important as the foxhole plan itself. And to my way of thinking, it's good to test this mettle early, even in the small stuff...long before the bigger plan is called for.
   

Sustainable Living: A Saint (Bernard's) Life

     There are some things you can't unsee...Usually when someone says this, it's in reference to something gross or shocking like those strangely dressed people of Walmart, pics and videos for which, circulate regularly on FB.
     But things don't have to be gross to be memorable. Just unusual or out of the ordinary. Sometimes you see something and it just sticks with you. The image gets caught in a loop and buries itself deep in your memory cells. You keep going back to it.
     Such was the case this week when someone sent me a news clip out of Canada regarding an island that is totally self sufficient. Roughly 400 acres, it was detached from the mainland and running totally "off grid" (a concept often talked about, but one you seldom seen done by an entire community, though I predict it's coming). It's a concept that seems to be intriguing to a lot of people these days, of which I am one, so I'm grateful to the friend who forwarded me the story.
     In the case of this island (called Lasqueti, one hour from Vancouver) its residents come in a variety of socio-economic varieties and wound up here for a variety of reasons. Some live more rustic  a life than I'd be ready to sign on for. Others could afford more battery packs; these live in houses complete with electricity and running water. (Note to self: afford more battery back ups before you begin.)
     But the image that stood out most in my mind...the picture that made me go back and watch the piece several times, was this lady who lived with 42 Saint Bernards and 2 kids under 2. As if having an infant and a 2 year old wasn't enough, this lady bred St. Bernards for a living and had kept one pup from every litter. The image of those dogs following her on a walk will forever be etched in my mind. ( I thought 4 Pyrs were a handful.) While the image made me smile (and made me really wanted to go visit for a day) the reality of what that lady must go through each day is the part that really stayed with me.

Rosey, with distance

     For starters, what do they eat? And how does she afford them? The news clip pointed to one small restaurant on the island, and a bunch of folks who grew their own food. It did make reference to a bunch of ferrel sheep that lived there. (I'm guessing the dogs help keep that population down. My guess is they're on their own. I mean, how would you even begin to put down bowls? "Brekfuss" around my place takes a good 45 minutes (granted we have goats in the mix, but they're nothing compared to making sure the big dogs don't get in each others' way).
     We have our routine down to a science. You put Rosey's bowl down first or you're in for a fight. And you sure as heck don't put Rosey's bowl anywhere near a goat's path, cause if they so much as brush past her while she's eating, well, let's just say it's not peaceful. The other three roll much better than Rosey does when it come to food. She's my aggressive eater for sure. Then again, she also birthed 11 puppies awhile back, so it's understandable how weaning and suddenly having to share with well-meaning (though pesky, hungry puppies) did a number on her head. We're all simply mindful when it comes to Rosey and her food.

TJ won't eat until everyone else has been fed.

      I couldn't tell from the clip which dog was alpha, but I did have to laugh at the reporter who marveled that the owner knew them all by name. (That part didn't surprise me. My goats all have names. Once you get to know your critters, even if they're identical in color or markings, they have unique personalities. Though I will have to say, a bunch of those St. Bernards did look a lot a like.)
     My biggest question was "how much time must she spend cleaning her sidewalk?" for when it comes to dogs this size, you aren't talking an average pooper scooper for clean up. (Think "horse".)
     I will say, everyone looked happy, and I really wanted to visit. But knowing precious little about the breed itself, I wound up googling (they are beautiful dogs, great with kids, though known to have terrible slobber problems). Most intriguing find for me, was there's a cross breed combining Pyrs and Saints. They're called a St. Pyrenees and since I already think of mine as this side of heaven, I wonder if there's anyone out there interested in a studly dog named TJ.

     To view the story, just visit:

http://www.trueactivist.com/just-one-hour-from-vancouver-there-is-a-secret-island-where-everyone-lives-completely-off-grid/

Farming and Time Management

     The day was chock full before it started.
     By nature I am an early riser, though I prefer to leave myself room in the first hour or two as my days are those I enter from a grounded, silent beginning. (Not to mention, mornings are when the best writing hits.) Of course, some days don't afford me that luxury. Today was one of those days.
     First a farm hand, next an intern, now an assistant, I am strategically adding talent to the mix with skill sets long overdue for a full time farm operation. The reason this has now become necessary? My lack of time management skills.
     For the record, I decided to start gardening for two reasons:  1) I was double dog dared to make a Southern cookbook that didn't involve heart attack food; 2) my father passed away and I didn't feel like doing a lot of things I was once driven to do.
     With these to incentivize, I came home to the town of my birth, decided to try my hand at full time country living and began this journey with some misguided picture of Henry David Thoreau's Walden years as my guide. (Granted HDT didn't have a smart phone, nor had he seen the movie Julie and Julia, but modern technology seemed a minor alteration; turns out they change the formula entirely.)
     What I anticipated were long periods of silence, meditation and reflective writing.
     What I got was another full time job added to the many hats I was already wearing.
     In a nutshell, I came home to grow a garden, take some pictures, learn to can things and get on with the next cookbook. (In case you haven't noticed, that book's not out yet. It's got a pretty cover and we know what's going in it. I've just not blocked the "butt-to-chair" time to write it until now.)
     Meanwhile, adding to the mix of selling the others (which involves warehousing, reprinting, invoicing and other lovely business things I find less fun than creating). Now I add "farming" (which at first I took on laughingly, but immediately got hooked on).
     As a matter of true confession, I will admit: I've taken farming for granted. I think our whole planet has. "The food will always be there" and "How hard could it be?" played in the back of my mind. (I didn't say these things out loud, but clearly I must've been thinking them for I had no idea how time consuming it was to become.) The good news is, I like it. And I want to do more of it. What's more, I sense the whole planet is starting to take note. You don't have to be a doomsday prepper to sense it would behoove us all to know a little more about where our food comes from and what we are putting into our bodies. After all, our survival gene was handed down. Here of late they're calling it "sustainable living".
   

"I Want to Live in A Commune"

     It was a funny line that came out of nowhere. How did she know I'd been pondering this very same notion for a few weeks now...I wasn't toting my book.
     I was waiting for my routine check up when the nurse practitioner came in asking, "What? No veggies today?" Lately I've become the Pied Piper of Veggies having discovered it's just easier to give things away than to try to can or freeze everything. Thurman taught year one of my garden "It just makes for good neighbors," what's more, it makes me feel nostalgic...like in your grandpa's day when folks paid their doctor with a pig or something. (Veggies are much neater.)
     We struck up a conversation about food of all things. Maybe it's my age. Maybe it's too many stories of something tainted. In both our cases we confessed to feeling guilt with each drive-through run, but sometimes at the end of a long day you just want to fill up your belly and collapse. I know the feeling all too well...Only when you're tripping over fresh veggies everywhere you turn, you do have a built in reminder to deter you.
     But then she said the funniest thing. This educated nurse practitioner who is mindful she shouldn't but sometimes goes for junk food anyway when she's too, too exhausted (and looking at her office that day I sensed this might be one of those evenings) ...she said (and I quote) "I want to live in a commune."
     Despite the book title I'm showing atop this blog, I had not carried that one with me, however it's on my bedside table and has become a Bible of a read as I ponder just how that might work...after all, when you make the choice to focus on careers and not kids (well, not the two-legged kind anyway), there will come a point where you ponder your future...It doesn't take a rocket scientist to point out that if  I want to continue living the life I'm living (and I do) where farming is a key part, and funny lifeforms grace my daily routine (which I like) then you better come up with a plan, Evins, cause someday you'll be the little old lady in need of assistance. Heck, I could use help now (says the girl dreading the morning's task of lifting 3 (50 pound) bags of goat chow out of her Jeep!)
     Co-communities...Intentional Housing...Co-housing...There are many words for the concept. It originated in Denmark (leave it to those Danes) and it's fairly common in Europe, and now, it's even starting to show up stateside~
     I have some cousins who lived in such a community. (And to be clear, I'm not talking The Farm, though having interviewed Steve Gaskin and his lovely wife, Ina Mae, on several occasions I have to say I always admired their commitment to the concept.) In my cousins' case, it was a village outside of Chicago called Stelle. People from all walks of life joined together to share in common beliefs and common chores benefitting both from the safe haven of community, but also from the economies of scale. They shared a big garden and canned their own food; they watched out for each others kids making it one of the safest neighborhoods around. They were green before green was cool, harnessing solar so as to create their own electric grid and telephone co-op. They had their own natural water supply and treatment set-up. They focused on permaculture and sustainable living and to this day this little village of 100 or so people thrives beautifully depending not on the government, but on each other.
     I'm only starting to study the concept, but I gotta say, I'm finding it fascinating. As I think through all the chores I do on any given day, that my next door neighbors and their next door neighbors do--just like I do~ Well, it does occur to me there might just be another way of going about  things if we put our heads together.
     On top of this, people my age don't expect Social Security to be in existence by the time we could cash out. One glance at the evening news tells you our economy is propped on smoke and mirrors. You don't have to be a "Doomsday Prepper" to know we've got to sustain ourselves somehow and I for one like thinking ahead before someone else does my thinking for me. The closer we grow things to home, the better for everything involved (the better the food, the better the pricing, the better for our own bodies). Right now as I look around at friends who are as busy as I am, some facing bankruptcy, some facing job uncertainties, friends wanting to downscale and simplify, I'm wondering who you gonna count on?  Your church? Your government? Or those who know you best and love you most...More and more I'm thinking "It takes a village."