A Vision for the Future

http://organictobe.org/index.php/2008/09/02/the-man-who-created-paradise-by-gene-logsdon/

You know how I am always posting links to things I think you should read and, when you do, you end up depressed because what I had to share was just so darn sad or horrifying or, well, depressing? Well, this time, I promise you'll be crying tears of joy, not despair! I have read a few books by Gene Logsdon and they have inspired me greatly. I found this property and could see it's potential because of what I read in The Contrary Farmer and The Pond Lovers. I have read a lot this past year about environmental destruction, economic collapse, energy depletion and other nasties, and I have shared a lot of it here. But what you have not seen here, has been the counterpoint to all the bad news. I have been mired in the negative at times, even though we were forging ahead with the plans to make a new future for ourselves. I have not had the inclination to share what we are doing in reaction to and to heal what is happening in the world today. Hell, I have not had the inclination to do much beyond dreaming...yet. But things are changing. I am letting go of the past and turning towards the future I want to create. The seasons are shifting towards Spring and the work that can be done when the Earth warms and Life returns.

If you are inclined to read about a vision for the future that I believe is very doable, check out the link above. I think we will need to have some idea of what we want to replace our current system with if it should come to an end. Better to have Plan B ready, than to have no idea of how to go forward. So, go read the story and come back and tell me what you think!

DONE!

We did it! All our stuff is in NY, C is moved into his room in VA, the rental house is cleaned and ready to hand over to the landlords and I am done! Yipeeee!!!! Now only C will have to do that drive! ;-)

Now, the real work begins. I have to get off this computer and unload the UHaul trailer that brought the rest of the stuff up from VA. I have a basement full of boxes to unpack and a workroom, pantry and studio to set up down there. I have a garden to plan, a deck to design, radon remediation to get set up, chickens to research, acquire and build a coop for, fruit trees and bushes to plan and plant, an awesome compost system to build that will accommodate our future humanure additions, a dock to build and row boat to buy, a fire pit that needs benches, a new heating system to decide on and then install, a pile of wood that needs splitting and stacking. I have a house that is 75% set up, so the 25% left to do is easy to overlook, but still needs to be done. I have a head full of dreams, and a foot of snow on the ground preventing me from working on most of them.

Then there is the fun stuff. We have a new kitty to pick up from a family who can't keep her. We have old friends to get together with and new friends to find and enjoy. We have family to spend time with and cool things to get out and see or do here in town. We have our luge run to perfect and a pond to keep clear for skating. We have a tree house to design and we need to scout a tree to build it in. We have bikes that need paint jobs and tuneups for all the riding we are going to do this spring/summer/fall. We need to acquire a season pass for the local state parks, for hiking, picnics and swimming.

So, life is never done living and there is always something on that to do list. Time to go live it a bit...

Common Sense

If you watch the above video, besides seeing why I love Dr Paul so much, please, please, tell me what does not make sense to you, if anything. I need to understand the thinking of the average person on these matters, so that I can understand how we got here. Did he say anything that makes you say, "No, you have it wrong, Ron"? And what can you tell me that will help me understand your point of view? Or did he mention things that you have an incomplete understanding of and therefore you cannot make a judgement call about the validity of his statements? Or did you understand it all and simply disagree with his conclusions?

I, personally, agree that our problems today in the area of the economy are due to a systemic breakdown that could be predicted, and was, long ago. It is the simple culmination of living beyond our means for far too long. The bills have come due and we have no money in the bank, or even under the mattress, to pay said bills. I mean, if our standard business practice is to borrow money to pay for the latest round of production, and to continually grow, how could no one see that it would all come crashing down one day? Whatever happened to saving the fruits of your labor, to protect against stormy days? How did we ever get to a place where we always buy today and pay tomorrow, and not see anything risky with that?

It is time to grow up! Don't spend what you don't have, period. I'm talking to you, America, and not just the people. The government has spent waaaaaaay beyond it's means for far too long and it has to stop. Yes, the system (fractional reserve banking) will crash if we do that. Yes, it will be ugly. But at the end of it all, we will be a saner, more sustainable world, where no one lives upon the back of another. Hard work is what brings you prosperity. You want more? Work more and harder. Isn't that the American Dream? If you work hard enough, you will be successful?

I Have No Excuse

My new laptop computer now has all my files and pictures on it, I have my photo editing software installed, and there is nary a box in sight that needs to be unpacked (never mind the ones I can't see right now!). I no longer have an excuse not to blog. I have gotten several bonks on the head from the universe lately to get blogging, already! The nicest was from a friend from Vegas who said I was inspiring. I was also told that people were waiting for me to start blogging about "what to do" after all my information posts. Yikes! Didn't you know I was empowering you with information to find your own solutions, should you choose to educate yourself further?!? Okay, okay, I'll share more of my plans, but don't quote me on whether they are the "right approach" to the world's ills.

I have months of pictures I took with the intention to blog about them in my computer, waiting for someday... I'll get to those, probably posting them with the date stamp of when they were taken. If you are on a feed, you will get them, even if they are buried back in the posts from June, but if you read from the site, I'll try to link to any new "old" posts in a fresh one at the top.

I have toyed with the idea to post daily. Don't hold your breath, but maybe I will find a rhythm that works for that in the coming weeks. I have always been drawn to the idea of "morning pages" from Julia Cameron's The Artists' Way, where you write stream of conscious type stuff every day, three pages worth, to clear out your mind to stimulate creativity. I fear, for your sake, that that is the best way to get me blogging daily - to give myself permission to spew. It could be interesting! Ha. Seriously, I have talked about being more Real on here. Maybe I can find a way to share without total TMI, on a daily basis, and we will both benefit. I'll learn to lighten up the Perfectionist and boost my creativity, and you will get more insight into our lives.

I have to let go of my fear of offending people with my opinions. If you read something here that runs counter to what you believe, c'est la vie! It is just my opinion, based hopefully on facts and my experience, but it does not mean anything about you. I'll still love you if you disagree with me. I am finding it hard not to share all that I have been thinking about these past few months. The internal censor must go, or least be reduced to a civilized size. I'll allow it to remind me not to swear, but I can't keep stifling "who I am", you know?

Okay, let this be the start of something new...

This is what you do when you get a lot of snow. At the end, I was cut off saying "Our own luge run, not quite finished yet". Wait till you see it at the end of the winter! Call it our snow engineering unit. ;-)

I.O.U.S.A

Please, please, please, pretty please, please with sugar on top watch this video. Is it any more obvious that I am begging you to educate yourself about our current financial situation here in the US? This video is just the tip of the iceberg on what you can learn, but it is an excellent overview of what we are facing as a nation. If you have children or grandchildren, you should be very, very afraid of the world we and our government are leaving them, IF we continue down the road we are on right now. I am not without hope, but it is going to take a massive waking up of our citizens, and a radical call to action to solve. I am simply doing my part to shake you out of your slumber and ask you to open your eyes and LOOK. I am also living within my means and showing my children that you do not spend what you do not have, period. In other words,you do not act like the government. You do not mortgage your future to the rest of the world, while going around pushing your agenda on them like you actually have the power, ultimately, to do so. OK, off my soap box. It is in your hands now.