Duality

“of course, it’s only natural to respond to a waning
by trying to escape the threat”

-The Mindful Way through Anxiety
by Susan Orsillo and Liz Roemer

It’s been awhile for me to pick up a pen to write but sometimes the hardest things to do are the most therapeutic, so today I write.

Over a year has passed since our moving and our last post told what we had done up to that point and the beat goes on.

A hike up Lower Table Rock, Mt. McLoughlin...what we do for fun

Sharing birthday meal with a good friend 2014

2014 was probably one of the most intense years since before retiring in 2008.  I chuckle when I think about retirement and what it meant then compared to what it means now.  Entitlement is what we should have called it then and maybe the new term now could be “retitlement”.  Sounds good to me a new title in a new time but it says nothing of tire and for both of us, it’s been very tiring.

I hate to even tell people I’m retired but it’s hard not to after 30 years of my life doing something I didn’t necessarily enjoy.  I always thought retirement was about enjoyment and I’ve been confused lately with that word also.

It’s been an emotionally upbeat year with moving and feeling like we’ve been given a new lease on life, then realizing that we’re still on borrowed time and the lease in almost up.  I may have been more complacent before we moved, but as with past moves (13 of them), it’s a change and we roll with the punches and sometimes it hurts but the outcome has never been so bad that we can’t come back.  This move has brought back memories from previous moves and now I’m retired and having fun, right?  I know in my heart of hearts that I too, still have dreams to live and things to accomplish.  Right now “collapse” is a major inconvenience, it’s interfering with my extreme living before I die.

How can I have long term goals and see into a different future when the knockout punch has already been delivered and I’m struggling to get up for the 13th, 14th and 15th round?

This move has brought us to a good place to die and that’s the most I can hope for.
“If teardrops were pennies,
and heartaches were gold”
-Carl Smith

If I shut myself inside my abode, I’m perfectly happy with all that I do.

Husband's birthday gift, sweater with sweatshirt pocket

Winter Solstice making pierogi together

Drying pierogi

Friends gift for watching the property

Even on the property outside I’m ok, but it’s when I look around, all around…up, down and most places in between I see things differently from the past.

The bright blue skies of my youth now appear like a tic tac toe board with the chem trails winning the game and when not sunny the sky is hazy and gray with an Air Stagnation Advisory in effect for weeks at a time.  The seasons, all four that I once enjoyed…rain in the  spring, sunshine in the summer, cool breezes in the fall and snow, yes snow in the winter are all mixed together in a melting pot of obscurity.

This winter we’ve seen temps in the high 60’s, lows in the 50’s and 7.5” of rain in 6 days.  Before Christmas we strolled around Lithia Park in Ashland where the rhodies and vinca were in bloom.

Lithia Park, Ashland, OR rhodies in bloom, December 13th, 2014

For the last few weeks, it’s felt like spring.  The almond and peach trees are in bloom and just the other day we spotted a baby flicker in our front yard.  I tried researching to find out when they have their young in the PNW but was unable to find anything of value.  The third week of March, I saw my first hummingbird at the slider when I was lifting weights, I love when things like this happen, this is our TV (distraction).


 

Lithia Park Vinca in bloom, December 13, 2014

 Most of whom we’ve spoke with have said that this summer will be bad.  No rain (except for downpours), no snow pack and warmer than normal temperatures, at least out west.
This article summed things up, http://www.kval.com/news/local/Wheres-the-snow-Were-setting-new-record-low-measurements-291763451.html stating:

"The previous record low was in 1981, and we measured 17 inches of water. This year we are measuring 5 inches.”

and this link made it even clearer with a picture:
http://www.oregonlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2015/03/rogue_rivers_lack_of_water_wil.html 

Some are talking about the abnormalities but most are still too busy with more important things in their lives.  I recently read an article on the Arctic News titled, “Watch where the wind blows” from February 3rd, http://arctic-news.blogspot.com/ and after sharing the article with a friend, the response I got back was, “but they don’t tell us what to wear”.  Apparently there are many who don’t want to read "bad" news (as if it makes it less real), don’t grasp it or plain just don’t care.  I think some older folks still think they’ll escape the mayhem…who knows?

The growing season will definitely be an indication of the changes in weather patterns.  This is the time of the year for going through last years leftover seeds as well as what we have saved.  We always ask “will they perform the same as the year before?”  What will mother nature provide us with this year?  I’m waiting for the billboard on I-5 that asks, “got water?”

Seasonal creek on property 2015

Life is never without turmoil and I know it’s only going to get worse but the difference now in my life is enjoying what it gives me now and I feel rich, so rich in so many ways.

Our new home though a roof over our heads didn’t have a bathtub when we moved in, I enjoy a weekly ritual of soaking but know that it’s a luxurious want not a need.  Well now I have a bathtub and I soak in a tub full of scented water with a lit candle, wow, what luxury.  We have lived like Kings and Queens compared to most.

I can’t begin to tell you how I feel about the communication now with my daughter.  Since last October we’ve been corresponding and just yesterday I heard her voice for the first time in 8 years.  When she said, “mom” I immediately flashed back to that fall day when she was placed in my arms, life is good.

Our winter was busier than it’s been in years trying to accomplish quickly what we had in place before;  including a room for our pool table that came with us, Italian slate can travel anywhere. 

We converted a 600 sqft.space where we can enjoy pool, darts and perhaps shuffleboard.  Some dreams we don’t let go of and this is one of them.  It’s also a nice warm room for exercising, even though the bike goes nowhere we can now eliminate the hat, scarf and gloves.

Glue Laminated Beam

The major hurdle in creating this space was a supporting post,  dead center of the room that impeded the play of pool.  We were able to replace it with a glue laminated beam which opened up the space and completely changed the ambiance.  It’s no longer a square box but an attractive space to share time in.

Stairs on the outside where moved in and the space up above has become my craft room where someday I will sit and spin while looking over the sheep below in the pasture.  This is what dreams are made of.

Stairs going up to craft room

Finished Recreation Room

Where the post once stood, now the pool table stands

Not too much on the docket now except building up the soil in the garden, getting or building a greenhouse and possibly building or extending the chicken coop for our new addition of Buckeyes, hopefully we won’t have a problem selling the chicks to the duck fans, sorry. 

Buckeye Chicks

I realize the small town atmosphere we live in now as the call came from the post office at 7am one morning.  I answered and the voice on the other end said, “hold on I have someone here for you”, the peeps came through the wire loud and clear, “I’ll be right there I said”.

The birdsong is beautiful this time of the year and the peeps from the new chicks are endearing as always.  Daffodils are in bloom, fruit and nut trees are in bloom…Spring is in the air and birth is all around us.

Maybe there is something to be said about staying home and hunkering down, it’s a peaceful place where there is life.  Sometimes going to the city is a ruinous wakeup call, seeing cars driven by people with gadgets on or in their ears, while others are walking into businesses texting while shopping and the hard part is seeing more of that than homesteaders/farmers who are too busy to get together for a dinner.  It seems like one extreme or the other and unfortunately we understand both, though struggle with it.

Garlic and new tilled herb beds

Raised herb beds

Our cottage that we spent so much time and money on when we first moved in remains empty.  Not because we didn’t try to rent it, but because we realize more and more as time goes on that it’s difficult at best to share your land and property with someone else.

Back of remodeled cottage

Front of cottage before remodeling

We've thought recently about turning it into a commercial kitchen and have spoke with a few people from the extension service.  Talking to them as well as farmers in the area, we’ve learned that the Farm Direct Bill (HB2336) allows for one to process more without having a commercial kitchen.  We focus on what we can do, while trying to keep a reasonable timeline in view.

Aztec Runner Drying beans 2014

Homemade bread

Homemade Biscotti

Recently we had contact with our friend Paul who writes here: 
http://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/.  We spoke about the “mixed bag” of emotions as all the charts like the one on his most recent post are one color, red.  I’m hearing Don Meredith, “turn out the lights, the party’s over”.  Like us, Paul is enjoying his time moment by moment like we all should be doing.  Not much matters anymore,

“if the button is pushed, there’s no running away”

Barry McGuire, Eve of Destruction

Love while you can with all your might, live intensely with passion, and laugh often for no reason.

With so many buttons yet to push, best to enjoy life while we can.  I struggle with the duality of it all especially when the worse of the two are winning, but….
I know there is so much still to enjoy and I’m enjoying it while I can.

Quinn, our new German Shepherd pup named after the writer, Daniel Quinn

Work Worth Doing

It’s been just over 6 months since we moved in, and with little time to explore since Spring, we're now both welcoming the Fall.  Our makeshift greenhouse served us well and though we didn’t expect to have a garden this year, our harvest was bountiful.  Not only are the onions the best tasting we’ve ever had, they're the biggest.  Though we did little to the garden that was in place upon moving in, we were able to can kraut, tomato sauce, and pickles as well as drying onions and peppers with enough to make tomato leather which our little bit of basil went into. 

Storage onion harvest 2014

Drying Walla Walla onions in our solar dryer 2014

Hopefully this next year we’ll be able to till most of the garden and make raised beds like we had at our other property in Junction City. The asparagus will be the only bed that will go undisturbed as it was a delicious treat welcoming us. Though our other property was no till for over 10 years, we have to raise the beds up over the walkways as they are sunken for the time being and we’ll need to continue amending the soil if we want the same results.  

We purchased a beast of a tiller (BCS) and it’s done a good job of throwing David over to the side a few times.  When we lived here in Southern Oregon in the 80’s, we had one and it never let us down with the amount of rocks we had as well as the clay soil.  It’s always worth it to buy a good product and we have no complaints about BCS.

We didn’t know if we would have a garden this year as we had no idea if we would find property to buy.

Garden 2014

Our guess was we were going to have to rent for a year and look while living in the area.  Needless to say we are once again humbled by the graciousness of nature and what it provided for very little work.

A sink load of tomatoes 2014

A quarter of one harvest 2014

  









After having some compost and sand delivered, David was able to till both in, but after we started working on the cottage remodel, the garden was left alone and we’re quite surprised at the amount of food it produced.  We’ve dried tomatoes and canned them for sauce (40 quarts ) and soup, we also made an herbal tomato leather in which one load consisted of 32 pounds of tomatoes and net us 20 ounces of product.  



We had more zucchini then we needed, 

Drying zucchini chips in the solar dryer 2014

and luckily for the meat birds, they devoured the shredded frozen treats that were offered in the 100+ temps we had.  Peppers still producing and we’ve dried four dehydrator loads thus far as well as all the fresh that was eaten and stuffed with delicious ricotta cheese that our goat friends in Eugene gifted us with. 

Tomato Leather 2014

Tomato sauce or soup? 2014

Our drying beans that we just finished harvesting/shelling, netted us over 40 pounds in an area of 330 sqft.  The varieties we grew this year consisted of Rattlesnake Pole, Brockton Horticulture, Swedish Brown, Tongue of Fire and Aztec Runner.

Drying beans in the garden 2014

Rattlesnake Pole, drying beans in a jar 2014

Our 17 layers are now giving us about 13+ eggs a day and we’re selling the surplus which is paying for the organic/soy free layer pellets.  We let a broody set and so far she’s been great but with 20+ eggs under her we doubt we’ll have that many chicks.

Our 47 Red Ranger meat birds are now part of our freezer and though the deal with neighbors ended bitterly, we were able to end on a good note with nice people that contacted us through an ad on CL.  They had all the equipment (scalder, plucker, killing cones) and were willing to demonstrate how it was done for 8 birds which they kept live.  After about 4 hours (not including the wrapping) we had the birds in coolers and everything cleaned up, (it was another couple of hours to do the wrapping after we returned home).  We learned a skill that many don't/won’t do anymore and were able to build relationships with those who feel the same way we do about sharing and we hope to continue helping and supporting each other.  They were very supportive and quick to help if we needed it but for the most part sat and watched us do a fine job (per what they said).

We learned some very important lessons the hard way and know now what not to do next time.  We didn’t expect for them to cost so much per pound, but neither did we expect to give away 8 birds as our neighbors had butchered before and were going to show us how as part of the deal.  Nothing is lost if lessons are learned and knowledge doesn’t come cheap these days.  Sometimes those chance meetings are the best kind. 

We visited the Farmer’s Market in Medford (the Thursday one by the Armory) and got to see firsthand the display of goods from some of the farmers we’ve met in the area.  I met a spinner that has Shetland sheep, Gotland sheep and Pygora goats.  The fleece from the latter was soft and I imagine a dream to spin.  She indicated a need to sell her farm and animals before long and we exchanged emails and phone numbers to keep in touch.

In posting this blog, we thought it would help us put things in perspective as well as share what we continue to do on a daily basis even though we’re considered to be “doomers”.  Like we’ve mentioned before in our posts even though we don’t see longevity in our lives… we do see reason to continue.  This is what feeds us both physically and mentally.  It’s the richness of the time we have here now to experience, no matter how long it is.  

Following is a list of what we’ve done since moving here the end of January 2014.

• Moved in
• Secured chicken coop, fenced in run for egg layers and got 18

• 
  Red Ranger chicks 2014
  
  

  

  Australorp and Barred Rock chicks 2014
  
  

  
  

  

  Australorps and Barred Rock layers 2014

• Also rewired chicken coop by digging trench and burying it, was strung across in front of old greenhouse from storage area.

• Got 50 meat birds and helped friends who will help us butcher secure a trampoline with feeders for them as well as housed them on our property and took care of them for 2+ months, as they got bigger they were going through 12 gallons of water a day and spent hours shredding and freezing zucchini when outside temps were over 100.

• Fixed chimney burned from flue fire and cleaned wood stove.
• Hot water heater, replaced 2 thermostats
• Added water shut off valve from well to house
• Installed new water line to garden
• Redid electric in shop, fixed wiring problems
• Built over 6 shelves in shop
• Put in cat door and built shelves in storage area
• Put new knobs on all kitchen and bathroom cabinets
• Hung clothes dryer in house, wrought iron one we bought with us
• Fixed hall drawers so they would open and fixed shelves in closest with supports
• Fenced orchard and then had to add wire to it when deer still got in
• Dug holes and planted 37 fruit and nut trees
• Planted all transplants that we brought with us including elderberries, blackberries, raspberries, hops, lemon verbena, rosemary, and dahlias.
• Built hoop house for starts after we discovered old greenhouse couldn’t be repaired
• Planted and cared for starts until transplanting in garden
• Had 20 yards of compost and 15 yards of sand delivered… tilled both in garden
• Washed all wood floors in house with vinegar then oiled them with Olive oil
• Knitted and felted slippers for Keith
• Made two pieces of hardanger embroidery to share as gifts

Hardanger piece made for friend's birthday 2014

• Made three hats to share as gifts
• Knitted collar for gift
• Knitted moebius for gift
• Knitted shawl for myself
• Attended Grange meeting
• Volunteer on Wednesday’s at school thrift store, helping to raise funds for new roof
• Sold extra tomato plants on CL and delivered them to people in town
• Had several people over for dinner, Farming Fish owners and intern, neighbors that we met buying eggs from, contractor who did work on cottage, librarian that we knew from the 80’s while living here, and cooked a couple of meals for friends we knew while living here (now in their 80’s) one of which was their Anniversary meal
• Replied and contacted people from iFarm and IC.org
• Tilled a small area where horses were, several times because the soil was so compacted
• Changed all locks including shop and cottage
• Set up accounts and met those doing bulk ordering
• Picked up 20 bales of straw and mulched garden beds
• Attended two dinner parties from different people
• Had contact with three of the neighbors surrounding us
• Still exercising (walking, riding stationary bike and other, lifting weights)
• Had overnight stays with friends and family
• Painted bathroom
• Spent a day driving up the Rogue River to Galice (yes we have fun occasionally)
• Wrote three blog posts
• Cleaned shop
• Insulated attic
• Drained pond twice, then dismantled and fill it with dirt
• Transplanted the plants that were around the pond
• Cut off eve on house that was rotted and reinstalled flashing/gutters
• Bought tiller
• Hung ceiling fan in living room and one in cottage
• Installed new light fixture in our bathroom
• Fixed drain in both bathrooms
• Fixed front door so it opens and closes now…and locks
• Created burn piles
• After completion of outside of cottage, painted outside and in, picked up trash all around it including all the old roofing shingles
• Had rock delivered and spread it for cottage driveway
• Helped neighbors make chicken tractor out of a trampoline
• Installed bathroom fans
• Had vapor barrier placed under house and dry rot fixed
• Harvested and dried herbs (rosemary, basil, thyme, greek oregano,lemon verbena, costmary and calendula also processed fresh for sun infused herbal vinegars
• Fermented 20 quarts of sauerkraut and 12 quarts of pickles
• Canned hot cauliflower, sweet pickles and dilly beans
• Fixed solar dryer
• Peeled and cut 40 pounds of onions to dry
• Cut and dried 25 pounds of peppers
• Processed tomato leather (about 96 pounds of product) and dried it
• Cut and dried zucchini for chips
• Worked on tractor…oil change, flushed radiator and changed air filter and thermostat
• Maintained garden
• Still continued to make lotion, salve, deodorant, toothpaste and tinctures
• Bathed dog, combed daily both dog and cat
• Fixed chipper, replaced blades and sold it on CL
• Transplanted plants that deer were eating into the fenced area
• Pruned apple tree for friend we met through Azure Standard
• Harvested tomatoes, processed and canned tomato sauce
• Harvested tomatoes, processed and canned tomato soup
• Remodel of 650 sqft cottage including: new roof, new siding, new windows, new drywall, insulation, painting inside and out, new steps and new stove

Cottage before remodel 2014

Inside of cottage during remodel 2014

Cottage nearing completion of remodel 2014

Sometimes we all lose track of what we do and commiserate over what we don’t get done, but after viewing this list, not only does it help to put things in perspective, it reinforces what we’ve always said, “actions speak louder than words”.  We know why we get up in the morning and why we go to sleep at night.  If nothing else this list shows that we haven’t given up and we’ll continue as long as we can to live and enjoy what life gives us.  We’re both thankful to be able to say, “we’ve always tried”.

We enjoyed profit in the form of money for years, we're so glad now to enjoy more of what  we grow... 

Morning Glory with the beans 2014

Amish melon 2014

and what we see...

September's Full Moon 2014

Staying present...Show, don't tell

We have always tried to follow through on what we say, and do what we say we will do, so I owe this post to Dmitry Orlov who asked four questions recently here:  http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-four-questions.html.  Thank you Dmitry for opening a much needed dialog.

Though it’s a very busy time for us, we both felt driven to reply with our answers as brief as they are.  Much can be written about the subject and we have tried over the years to post some of our thoughts while in the midst of building, whether its infrastructure or relationships with family, friends or community because nothing is more important to us right now.  But…we also know that it takes all sides to be ready, willing and able.

Dmitry’s first question is one we have asked ourselves many times over.  But, our answer is probably a good answer to all four questions, live like you speak about, do what you can and stay in the moment.  We have found it's easy to get stuck in the past or persuaded into the future, so we try to live each day to the best of our ability.  When we stay present,  others tend to pay more attention.

Especially now when there is little we can do, why risk losing touch with those we love?  And why waste our energy with those who think we’re nuts?  We try hard now to take the approach of answering when asked and not before.  This is especially hard to do when those you love do not care to see the reality of our current crises.  It’s easier when adult children say they already know these things and they don’t care to discuss them as it removes the guilt we sometimes feel as parents for not being truthful and it relieves some of the stress of letting go, though I have to constantly remind myself not to share.  It’s become easier for us to deal with reality one day at a time while practicing doing what we say.  Our words have always come with action and our actions have not changed for over 10 years.  It’s hard to accept that even though we do what we say, we haven’t earned much respect from those who turned away from us. 

In my previous post I mentioned the fact that we haven’t had a relationship with our youngest daughter since 2006 when our gloomy, doom behavior pushed her over the edge and for that I’m sorry.  A relationship that in my eyes was beginning to blossom as she reached adulthood and could support me as I her.  I can’t begin to answer how I get up in the morning knowing that I have a daughter who is alive and well that refuses to talk to me.  A beautiful girl inside and out whom I can’t talk to about the most important things in our lives, which include living.  Now I only want to hold her and love her, I would never risk losing her all over again.  Soon enough she too will understand the predicament as life will certainly change for all of us as time passes.  Perhaps the loved ones who have turned away from us will never be back, perhaps they will die with their pride attached and this I find horribly sad. 

How can I begin to offer answers when I have failed at the most elementary level?  I would begin to answer this by saying that when I first discovered that things were not the way I thought, I got depressed.  Some people get severely depressed when discovering the truth is something different then what you believed for over 20 years.  This news is depressing when you live in a fantasy world and I would worry about those who don’t feel this way.  It took me a good couple of years to find my way through the horror of what I learned.

How a ripple can change a reflection.

Today I acknowledge more fact based information and I try to keep my personal emotions out of it.  Before I may have only looked at things as how they affected me, now I try to go beyond and look at a bigger picture.  Some days are better than others.  Early on in my journey, I remember reading, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and now when I’m “stuck in the mud”, I try not to stay stuck for too long.  I acknowledge that I’m stuck and DO what I can to get out.

Now I have a better understanding of how powerful the punditocracy is, and how alert I must be in deciphering what is real.  I ask who is saying it and why?  Critical thinking is needed if one wants the truth.

Here are the questions that Dmitry asks and our answers.

1.  How can we communicate the reality of collapse to family and friends in ways that are constructive rather than destructive and find helpful ways to reflect our “endarkenment” in our everyday behavior?

Communicating a reality that family and friends are not ready or willing to see is very hard to do by talking.   We started down this path in 2003 if not before with some members of our family and friends.  At first they may have listened but as time went on and they began to think about the implications of what this information means to their individual lives, they resisted hearing it anymore and some made themselves unavailable.

We assume reflecting our “endarkenment” means delivering what some feel to be bad news.  This becomes problematic when others view you as “glib” about the dark forecast of our future when in reality we’re only trying to make the best out of the time we have left.  We have had others ask us how we talk about news like it was all in a days work while we discuss it over breakfast, then go about our daily chores?  I’m not sure if this is a conditioned response learned over time, or if it’s just who we are as people.  If we still want to enjoy what is left, then we must go about living as joyfully as we can.  Reality based facts are just that, our minds make up what is negative and what is positive. 

Unlike “positive thinking” one deals realistically with the present moment, makes their decision on what to do and proceeds to do it while letting go of the so called “problem”.  Again it’s the “stuck in the mud” that Eckhart Tolle writes about.  We feel what needs to be felt then we move on.  For  our relationship we can recognize if one of us is “stuck” for too long and we kindly nudge each other along.  One wouldn’t stand on the side of the road waiting for their tire to gain air; instead one would either call a tow truck or fix it oneself if one wishes to continue to travel further.

It’s been a long struggle to get the message out and we’ve written about some of it on our blog.  I don’t think anyone wants to feel like the odd man out, but as time has passed, we’ve found we could do nothing but embrace the reality of it.  This is our choice as others choose their own coping mechanisms.  Unfortunately denial is one of them.

For us it’s been easier the last 4-5 years to accept how others view us.  Most who have chosen to put up with us can see more today as the situation (collapse) evolves and have chosen to speak more about it and some have even asked questions as to how we live.  It’s easier for them to ask us as we’re happy to share then for us to tell them when they’re not listening.  Time and energy is precious to us, so we choose now to reserve it.

Planting Beans

Beans beginning to climb

Rattlesnake pole drying beans, results from doing.

The simple answer for us is to stay present and live by the example you speak of.  

Like a good story, 

Show, don’t tell.

2.  How can we form personal relationships with people that can survive the disappearance of official life support systems based on finance, commerce and centralized authority? 

Good luck with this one.  Trying to find people who can is the first problem, then just because they can, doesn't mean they will.  We have met many who are in the position to step down but choose not to.  Until it affects them directly, we don’t see them volunteering.  We would feel extremely lucky to accomplish this but rather think it will most likely happen by osmosis, if at all.

Again living by example of what we talk about and sharing our personal experience(s).  We listen to what others say, but watch more to see what they do.  Words are easy to come by,  so many are talking and not doing anything that backs up what they’re saying.  We walk the talk.  We are not so arrogant to think there isn’t more we can do and we welcome what others can teach us.  We’re never too old to learn.  

Since marrying over 36 years ago, our lifestyle changed very little when we became even more frugal.  We only had a short distance to fall unlike others who fear they will never stop falling.   Our debts were payed before anything else therefore we haven’t traveled as much as others or shared in the fun that they have had.  Like many boomers, we or should I say “I” believed in retirement and working towards the goal of fun.  I now understand how selfish that was as I have lived as a Queen compared to most and if I die tomorrow, I have lived a good life.

We have been trying for several years to form relationships with people of our community by educating them on what they can do now while they still have a choice.  Collectively put our finances together while we still have money (and it’s still worth something) to build something of value.  So many empty buildings where leases are sky high as owners wait for the economy to pick up.  We need serious conversations at the Grange Halls as well as our bars, libraries, food stores, gas stations and wherever else we can communicate our concerns. 

Our community is worried once again about the fire season.  Last year was a summer of smoke in the area and many were lucky to escape with their property still intact.  We remember being evacuated from a fire in 87.  We saw what a small community could do to help one another when we agreed to do so.


So what happens when there’s another disaster and the nearest Costco is over 25 miles away?  Maybe we should think about that money that won’t be worth anything and invest in a local food co-op?  Maybe we should be having conversations with the local businesses in our areas about what their plan is when disaster strikes?  How about getting local people together to order bulk supplies, if not for the good of community, then for their own families?

3.  How can we transform our physical selves into ones that will stand a chance, by eliminating lifestyle diseases, bad habits, luxuries and comforts, and by finding maximally independent and resilient ways to provide the necessities?

As Nike put’s it, “just do it” .  Dig deep and find the fortitude.  How many know anymore what “real comforts” are?  How many know the feeling of starvation?  Cold showers?  No water?  We know luxury, unlike a bomb ridden war zone.  Where does individual compassion come in? 

When I was little and I didn’t finish my food on my plate, I was reminded of how other children were starving and maybe this was used as a form of guilt but I think otherwise as I now know what my parents intentions were.  They taught me something that I keep close by. 

The head and heart need to come together.  When that happens amazing transformation can and will take place if we nourish it.  Our personal health has always been our responsibility, we’ve just become lazy and complacent in taking care of ourselves.  As things start to affect more of the population, people will be forced to give up luxuries and will live to be depressed or rise to the occasion as they have done in the past.  Just as we wrote about in our post “Time to Find a Dance Partner,” we need to buddy up and start sharing and caring about one another.  Much like our elementary school days when we practiced fire drills, tornado drills…and even later in my career there were those of us that volunteered to stay behind with those who were physically impaired.  Though I’m sure many would call me idealistic, but I would like to think that without the support of many, the few would not survive.

4.  How can we make use of ritual and spiritual practice to transform a group of individuals into a community?

Think this comes from within and has to be felt individually.  Spiritual practice means many different things to different people.  I can commune with nature and feel a sense of spirituality recognizing how much I am a part of it so I care for it as it cares for me.  I believe we can evolve but I also know there are others who think we’re nothing more than “heads on sticks”.  I’ve been through the Tower of London, it’s just an ugly reminder for me.  

When I’m one with nature I notice the changes of the outside world and I feel the effects on me.  There are so many things right in your face when you’re looking. 

People who visit our homestead hear about the differences we’ve noticed over the years.  Some later come back to share what they have noticed after watching and it’s a start to a new dialog.  The differences are right out our doors.  I remember driving to work and noticing things over the years.  Less wildlife, trees dying, less water in our streams and creeks, do we think if we ignore it, the reality will change?

Magnificent Oaks on the property

Both of us practice yoga and incorporate meditation while doing so in order to focus better.  We also read.  Many of the books are by authors who speak of “mind chatter” and how it prevents us from doing, as well as adding unnecessary stress to our lives. 

In a recent video of Robert Jensen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48qZGQfOv3c, he speaks of attending church and how he is has learned to be more respectful of religion for the sake of building community. 

During the depression, bars were meeting places and gossip was shared not in a “nosey” way but from a deep concern about others in the community.  Those whose health was failing or maybe someone in need.  Too often now we lock the door, pull down the shades and hope that the neighbors don’t call or come by.  This is not what we consider to be spiritual in nature and we try to keep communications open with those close by.

Ritual behavior is behavior that is done over and over.

Early onions 

Onions 

Results from doing

Again we seek to live by example and not by mouth.  Even if it’s once a month, breaking bread together on a regular basis becomes a ritual that community members can do together.   I once belonged to a “spinning group” where we shared news of people who were ill and did things to help.  We taught each other new skills, offered help on projects and shared in events that were happening in our area.  We gathered once a month for a pot luck in the afternoon and took turns hosting at each other’s homes.  These are not new ideas, they are tried and true from days of past. 


Years ago I read Barbara Kingsolver’s book, Animal, Vegetable and Miracle.  It reinforced many things that we had already been doing but it also reminded us to get more involved with community and it prompted us to make appointments to talk to the “movers and shakers” as well as city officials (ie: city planners that had only heard of the term, “peak oil” this was in 2008), who we knew were only playing “in charge” but thought we could open their eyes a little, perhaps enough to see that they too were being played.

Not sure if any of our answers will help, but if we don’t try we’ll never know and even then we may never hear.  It’s what we do and how we live that will make  a difference for tomorrow, it may be the only day left.

Enjoy the beauty and take time to smell the flowers.