Butterfly Hill Farm: Ignorance

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May 20:

The Farm is really greening up. Plants are breaking into buds and flowers, under our ever watchful eye. Buffalo Gal, a rose we brought with us from North Dakota, is covered with buds and today she presented us with her 1st flower.

Irises began blooming yesterday. And we were not surprised that the 1st to flower were Irises from Melanie's 2 Grandmas (Ethel and Dorothy, who have both passed). I noted that the Yellow Columbine is also breaking into flower. And the Bleeding Heart just continues to throw out cascades of flowers.

We got 1 inch of rain last night. We did lose a few limbs, but otherwise, the countryside is in that luscious, after rain, spring-moving-into summer, green.

I do remember that my Dad, when he came to our Farm in 2007 just 2 months before he passed, said: "This is paradise. When I go to Heaven, I want to come here." It surely is beautiful here. The landscapes are radiant.

And the Hummingbirds, with all their energy, have just arrived. They buzz about. I don't know how they have all that energy. They wintered in the Yucatan, crossed the Gulf on those tiny wings, and now are setting up home here. I supposed you could say, they are setting up home just like us.

All this makes a perfect backdrop for wedding preparations and for the wedding itself. Is this for real?

Photos

Except in very specific circumstances, all photos depicted here were taken on our Farm. Those circumstances off the Farm relate to the purposes of this Farm and this writing exploration. Almost all were taken by 1 of the 3 C's. If not, I try to make sure others are credited. I (Glinda) am usually the one carrying the camera, but not always.

I do my best to gain permissions of Folks whose pictures are shown on this Blog. If for any reason, you are pictured and would like your photo removed, just let me know. Thanks.

Glinda

...began her professional career as a Home Economist, later serving as a Home Economics Teacher Educator for 2 decades. In 1995, she moved into analyzing the Human Side of Environmental Issues. She went from studying Humans in their Little Homes to studying Humans in their Big Home, the Earth. Those 2 leggeds were, after all, creating a substantial problem for the Earth, which sustains them. After 30 years in higher education, she became Professor Emerita of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Ecological Studies at the University of North Dakota in 2005.

Glinda has a special interest in analyzing the split Humans have with Nature. Her focus is bringing Humans home to the Earth, opening at long last to the awe, magic, and love of this beautiful Earth whirling in the Great Cosmic Sea. She is a writer, teacher, poet, artist. She is the writer for this Blog, the substance of which will likely become a book she has known she would write.

Recent interview with Fast Recipes: http://www.fastrecipes.com/latest-news/nature%E2%80%99s-recipes:-living-off-the-land-in-missouri-2010061740080/

Richard

...grew up on a 120 acre Farm about 5 miles west of here. Those humble beginnings have had a profound effect on his Life. He was trained as a Wildlife Biologist and later responsible for the Wildlife Management Program at the University of North Dakota for over 3 decades. Retiring in 2007, he is a UND Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biology.

Richard brings to the Farm a lifelong interest in the Natural Sciences (Birds, Wildlife, Prairie Restoration, Ecosystems, Gardening) and the Humanities. As his wife (Glinda) says: "He is one of those few people in our Culture who can still read Nature's story and make it accessible to those around him."

Melanie

...would list a bio a little shorter than her Mom and Dad. That's because she hasn't lived quite so long, which is the normal course of such things. But her bio would be no less interesting and perhaps even more so. She has come to this work and this walk far earlier than her Mom or Dad.

Melanie has an interest in healthy lifestyles. It's not something you read about; it's something you do. She brings her love of life, her travel near and far, her love of people known and unknown, her playful curiosity, and her knowing to Gardening, Raising Chickens, Herbal Healing, and the Culinary Arts. She makes a place for Kids of all Ages on this Little Farm.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Ignorance

I am sometimes confronted with my own profound ignorance. I am probably confronted by it more times than I know. Instead of paying attention, I just wash over that moment and miss it. It will surely come around again.

In those moments when I am confronted by such things, that "not knowing" arises right in front of my Nose when I least expect it. I cannot walk away. I stand frozen, stunned. I just cannot believe what I see and how I got there.

Gratefully, I am often simultaneously confronted with an ample dose of humor too. The Humor may arise from inside of me, or rather rain down from the Cosmos on innocent me. Regardless of the source, Humor softens the edges.

Last evening, I was confronted by just one of those Instances. Before I get into the details, I should note that I have always valued my Education. And I am highly educated in today's modern day "off the land" standards. While I never was much on pencilling in that Ph.D. behind my name, it was valued in the academic circles where I hung out for 3 decades of my Life. Ph.D. doesn't mean much on this Little Farm. And it disappears quite appropriately in those moments where my Ignorance arises.

So what happened?

For this Thanksgiving, I wanted to make Indian Pudding, which I did. Indian Pudding is a traditional dish reported to have been at that 1st Thanksgiving.

Corn Meal is 1 of the ingredients. For whatever reason, I decided that I wanted to use the Indian Corn that I had raised. The "oh, wow" moment reared its head. It had never occurred to me that Corn Meal came from Corn and that one could actually grind it if the equipment was present. (In this case, it is.)

I just thought that Corn Meal came from a round cardboard carton with that white haired man in a wide brimmed black hat on that container. I had absolutely no clue I could do it myself or that countless generations of people had done that way before little old me. http://www.quakeroats.com/products/more-products-from-quaker/content/specialty-items/cornmeal/yellow-corn-meal.aspx

So, Richard shelled the corn. Melanie got out the grinder. And I ground away at another little piece of "city" ignorance that had wrapped itself around me.

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Thursday, November 26, 2009

Ignorance

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