Heard on the Street

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We live

in a time

when

Old

is becoming

New.
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Our Own Way

Every once in a while, we get a startling experience showing the stark reality of a place that we lived before but we live no longer. And so it was Saturday when Melanie and I made an excursion to Town.

We stopped at a local Card Store to purchase a Sympathy Card. We were intent upon the seriousness of our mission and were not thinking about much of anything else. Upon arrival, we were surprised that the Store was a virtual beehive of activity. We bypassed the activity and headed straight to the Sympathy section.

While seeking the right card, we were occasionally distracted by the bustling activity, the opening and closing of what seemed like a multitude of distinctly different Musical Cards, and the Music overhead which included occasional upbeat Holiday Tunes. All these things were clearly outside the boundaries of our Quest.

After finding the right card, we headed straight to the Cashier. We were late for that next very important engagement so we had clearly in mind a speedy exit. With the 2 Cashiers in view, we discovered that a whole line of people stood in front of us. Each was laden with Holiday Shopping Purchases and Coupons. All had to pass by the counter of Chocolates, which meant still more purchases. With the overall amount over a given value, the Kindly Clerk offered the eager Customer a lovely discount on yet another Gift. It seems we had made our way into the Store during a festive Annual Open House.

So we stood in line for 20-25 minutes with time to ponder what was going on. We used to stand in those lines laden with many similar purchases, but we do so no longer. We were faced with the stark reality of our shift in Life Styles and the fact that many in that line were not on that page. Nevermind, both of us were dressed in Overalls. That was a standout difference too.

I was really quite proud of us. We just stood in line with our eyes wide open. For us, Christmas is not a commercial event. Relationships are more than an exchange of the material. If Money is available for Gifts which are neither endurable or needed, perhaps the Money should go to someone who needs Food or Heat.

When I got home, I thought about some of the things we could have done while we stood in line. I could have offered a "Kiosk", sharing what I now know. I would kindly ask the Holiday Shopper the product's origin. From there, I could show pictures of where the product was from, the living conditions of the People who produced the product, the small Children who produced it, the costs to the Earth in its production, the belching fumes of the Factories, the use of Energy and the Contribution to Global Warming of its transportation. We could have "fast forwarded" to the lifespan of the product, how long it would last, and where it would go from there.

We also could have "fast forwarded" to show what will happen to all that wrapping paper after it is removed from the Gift. As an alternative, we could have a craft table where the Shoppers could have produced reusable gift wrap from recyclable products. Folks could have gotten their Gift Wrap done while they were waiting in line.

But of course, those things are important to me. And I did none of those things on that memorable day. Instead we just smiled and kept focused on our mission.

We are deeply grateful that we do not live in those spaces any more. We need not force our beliefs on another. We are each finding our own way in our own time.

Sunshine, Seeds, Moon Beams Too

November 4:

The 3 of us head for a walkabout on the Loop around the Farm. Wherever we walk, we find Nature laden with Sunshine and Seeds on this glorious day.

The "puffs" in Nature in the above photo are mostly Goldenrod and Asters. They were splendid Flowers of Yellow, White, Blue, Purple not so long ago. The Flowers became Seeds. When those Seeds mature, they will catch a ride on their little "puffs" which dance in the Wind and carry them to their next Home.

That Evening, I looked outside and noted that the Moon, which was just past Full, was lighting up the Meadow. Moonbeams had touched those Little Puffs and they became a radiant White.

A Bit of a Break

The Words still keep coming, but the Eyes are saying they need a break. I have been doing a lot more close work than normal the last 10 days and some Eye Strain has developed. So a Break it is and that feels good. I should be back soon.

Richard's Bucket

This morning, Richard headed to the Garden to pick a Bucket of Fresh Vegetables for a Breakfast Stir Fry. What did he find? He came back with Turnips, Yellow and Orange Carrots, Celeriac, Dinosaur Kale, Red Kale, Green Kale, Rainbow Chard, Herbs (Rosemary, Marjoram, Thyme, Parsley), a Leek, plus he added Onions and Garlic which had already been harvested.

Those Veggies were sensory pleasures. They were beautiful to the Eyes. The aroma was exquisite. I wish somehow I could incorporate "scratch and sniff" into the Screen.

Overall, the Veggies were filled with Vibrant Living Energy. They went right from the Garden into the Cast Iron Skillet, then into our Bowls and from there right down that Tube into our Bellies. They have been stoking the Fire for our Body's Replenishment and Energy for this Day. How cool is that?

We told Mother about Richard's early morning adventure to the Garden. She said anytime Richard goes to the Garden with a Bucket, that is a good thing.

We are amazed at all the Veggies that we still have in the Garden. Melanie says that we have "heaps". It is true that the Warm Season Veggies have been long since harvested. This latter group of produce which he harvest would be called "Cool Season". They will hang until that Hard Freeze, the Ground Freezes, or some other event jeopardizes the Crop. Speaking of which, Richard is going to harvest Carrots tomorrow because the Rabbits have found them.

We are deeply grateful for the Bounty Nature shares.

Eating Seasonally

November 3:

On our Little Farm, we eat Seasonally, which seems right and generally is easy. Eating Seasonally means we eat Foods in Season, including Foods we have preserved. We also eat more Raw Foods in Summer or Foods Cooked Long and Slow in late Fall and Winter. Intuitively, eating Seasonally just makes sense. Our Bodies seem to want these Foods and find them most satisfying.

These days, Soups are a draw. I have begun to cruise through our Favorites and through Cookbooks to find starters for Soup Recipes. Yes, we find ideas (starters) for Recipes and then put our own Spin on them.

Today I made Bean Soup, which has been a Family Favorite since the early 1980s. I am also looking for a Recipe for Minestrone, which will probably find its way onto our Table in the next few days.

As late Fall moves into Winter, Soups warm us from the inside out. They are almost like a Fire in the Fireplace. Plus, their aromas while Cooking provide nourishment and appetizer too.

Biodynamic Calendar

For Garden 2009, we discovered the Biodynamic Calendar from Stella Natura through our Friends at Wren Song Farm down the Lane. We found the Calendar absolutely superb. The Calendar incorporates data from Astronomy which gives guidance on planting, cultivating, and harvesting plants whose main use is intended to be "leaf", "root", "flower", "fruit". The Guide takes planting "in the Sign" up a notch.

I feel tongue tied to explain this. My training in such things is minimal to none. But my gut says that this is "spot on". Melanie and I tried to incorporate information on planting from the Calendar throughout the season. As time went on, Richard came on board too.

The Calendar specifies days and times which are optimal, as well as those times when one should not. The cycles for planting seem to be roughly repeated about every 7 to 10 days. Since we planted such a large array of plants, it gave us an excellent format for planting.

We will be using this in more depth for Garden 2010. Some Folks might say this is pretty far out. However, when you go to all the effort to grow your own food like we do, why not take advantage of all the help you can get?

We will be ordering soon.
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