Memorial Day 2009

What a lovely day. Not hot for Sacramento. I spent the morning gardening with highschool girls earning money for Young Life camp. My front beds are weed free! We rolled the hammock out and washed off the cobwebs. I spent time watching the birds finding worms in my lawn.

When Tevis was very small he befriended a young bluejay he named "Lucky" and the next year a bird who looked remarkably like Lucky returned. Now we call the bluejay whose territory includes our house Lucky every year. Lucky and a mockingbird (yet unnamed) are battling it out in the air like Snoopy and the Red Baron.

Finished The Maytrees by Annie Dillard. Beautifully written. It reminds me to experience summer. Slow down. Enjoy the simple things. BBQ often. Read in the hammock until the stars come out. There is a link to this book at the bottom of the blog. Read this excerpt and see if you can catch the mood:

They stayed in the dunes till mid-October that first of many new years. Cranberries came on. Dune people met at cranberry patches. Among them were the Maytrees' favorit young friends, smart and funny, whose work over years had convinced the National Seashore not to demolish the shacks. One night an early frost capped ice on the pump jug. Clouds began to withdraw to their winter heights and thinned.

They boarded up the shack. This fall as every fall, they guyed the outhouse ever more strongly against storm winds. Maybe this winter the outhouse would stay upright. They knew it would not.

When they returned to their equially windy house by the bay, the leaves had gone. In the neighbors' wisteria they saw a nest. Maytree extricated it and showed Lou. Flown birds had lined it with her blonde-white hair in threads and his red-and-white hair in threads. Their hair made a smooth cup inside twigs. Perfecting the circle, he know was the nestlings' wars. Ants ate the ones that got pushed out.

What do you think?

P.S. Hetta, registered this book on Bookcrossing and sending to the Watson sisters.

Gardening Excitement

There is nothing more satisfying than preparing garden beds and planting seeds and young plants that will yield lots of yummy vegetables. This weekend I planted rhubarb, asparagus, blue lake green beans and sugar snap peas.

I also pulled lots of weeds and cleaned up debris left from my spent broccoli. The green waste can and compost pile are "full".

My garden soil in the raised beds is a beautiful loam, but elsewhere in the garden it is red clay topped by a couple of inches of loam. I am an inexpert composter. It is my hope that this year I will be able to work in lots of rich compost into other beds in my garden.

After weeks of consistent rain we've had a dry spell. Yesterday and today feel like rain, but little precipitation has fallen. I'll have to keep an eye on my seeds and hand water if Mother Nature doesn't take care of it for me. It is fun to have a reason to go out of doors and check in with what is going on in nature.

Since my first Co-Active leadership retreat I've been doing a morning ritual that they taught us. It is based on a Japanese spiritual practice. When I've been able to go outside it deepens the meaning for me. Especially when facing Mother Earth or Father Sky. As a Friend, I make my practice into a prayer to God, creator of heaven and earth. It is good to connect in this way at least once a day.

Also since my last post, Patsy, our beloved cat of 16 years died. She is part of the garden now too. She joined Lewis and the rabbits and ducks. It's important in the circle of life to rejoin the earth. I'd like to be cremated and then have my ashes spread somewhere my loved ones think is appropriate. I'll be gone, so it an important ritual for them. The part I care about is making sure I rejoin the circle of life.

What is the right size home?

I am blessed to have a lovely home with a garden in a safe neighborhood. When Tevis and Sarah lived at home full-time I often thought our home, as Goldilocks would say, was "just right." We did a major re-model over 10 years ago and rebuilt the house to 1250 square feet. There are three smallish bedrooms and two smallish bathrooms. We have lots of common living space including a separate dining room between the kitchen and living room. We designed it from the homes we saw in the Australian outback. So it includes a wrap around porch and a compact design with room for all of our needs.

At the time it was a stretch to afford. Since completion, I've made other improvements with flooring and paint. Almost everyday I thank God that I have this home for me and my children. Home base. A place we can own pets. While my income has increased, it's been affordable and I've never been keen to move.

I moved so much until we bought this house 23 years ago, that I just love that I've lived in the same place for so long. This is the only home Tevis and Sarah have lived in with me. When the kids moved to college apartments I spread out my crafts and created a guest room. Now when they are both home, it is tough to give them both a comfortable place to sleep. Yet, I cannot help but think I have too much space.

I am in the business of ending homelessness. I'm trying to integrate what I advocate at Housing California with my own life. If we all consume less resources there are more to share with others.

In the most recent edition of Country Living (February 2009) there is an article, "Tiny Houses for Sale" that inspired me to rethink my future and whether I need more than 800 square feet. Jay Shafer's Tumbleweed Tiny House Co. in Sebastapol is close enough that I could visit in person. Another website I'm exploring is resourcesforlife.com, the website for the Small House Society. It also provides freedom from as much maintenance. You cannot collect clutter because there is literally no space to store it. It also makes living by the ocean or mountains more affordable.

Wreath: symbol of a new year

An evergreen wreath is generally associated with Christmas. It actually began as a pagan ritual by the Romans to protect themselves from winter. It was placed on the doorway or portal to a home as a symbol of hope for the family's survival.

I found this wonderful succulent wreath at Shipwreck in Eureka. It was profoundly well-priced and having just read about cycles in history, I was eager to place this wreath in the gateway to my garden. It symbolizes the beginning of a new year and the beginning of a new cycle of seasons. It also conveys the hope of unbreakable time and the opportunity for a fresh start.

Glorious day on the North Coast

After dancing in the New Year at a party hosted by Kate and Dan, I've decided that every year should close and open with dancing. It feels great. All of Arcata, CA seemed to join in the celebration.

The next day was a solid rainy day allowing for lots of reading and journaling. No pressure to "do" anything. My best friend Harriet made a delicious version of strata with fruit that she called baked French Toast. Yum. For dinner we had tomales (candidate for a new tradition on New Years Day) and salad. We played Quiddler and swapped news. I felt a little sheepish about asking everyone to go to bed at 9:30. Since I was sleeping in the living room and already nodding off, everyone graciously trooped off.

After a lovely visit with Harriet and her family in McKinleyville, I began my trek home. It is a 6 hour drive to Sacramento. The light at this time of year is beautiful. The landscape of meadows and redwoods looked as though they were painted in pastels. The greens and browns were more vivid, yet the edges of the Eel River and rocky hillsides were fuzzy.

At Harriet's suggestion, I stopped in Old Town Eureka to check out a store called Shipwreck. It is a combination yarn shop, florist and vintage clothing store. The merchandise was artfully displayed and full of temptations. I made some purchases, which I will post later in the week. In the photo above you can appreciate a little bit of the variety and creativity that make it a unique shop. And isn't vintage clothing the best way to recycle?

I pulled into the driveway about 6:20 p.m. tired and glad to be home. My dog Radar did his Snoopy dance to let me know how much he missed me. I did a Snoopy dance when I saw my ancient friend Patsy the cat was still alive and asking for milk.

So far 2009 is good. I'm living in the moment. Enjoying friends, God's creation, wholesome food and the love of my pets.

Simplify in 2009

Publicly committing to simplifying my life in 2009 is terrifying.  What if this turns out like the weight loss efforts and attempts to pay off all of my debt?  This is not just in my personal journal where I can choose to close the pages and tuck away in a trunk never to reread.  I am saying to the world (or 3 people who read this blog) that I am going to work every day in 2009 to live more authentically.  

I will eat as locally as possible, choosing more healthy, organic food.  I will also grow many of my own vegetables in my garden.

I will consume less and appreciate what I already own more.

I will borrow books from the library, spend more time with friends, and in general seek out more meaning and less distraction.