MOJO

yesterday was a great day

i had two dear long time friends comment on the life that we have embarked on.  one said that i seemed so happy and in my element.  the other said it certainly seemed like i found my "mojo." and you know what?  i reckon they are right.  the life we are embarking on is not for everyone (the looks we have gotten over living in caravan compound with three kids have been amusing!) .... but ... it works for us, especially when we know what waits for us at the end of the day.

now .... don't be fooled.  is life easy?

no.  certainly not.  we've had some horrific weather .... days of blustery annex shaking winds and hot days with no a/c.  getting adjusted to knew patterns and rhythms for the day.  well, they do take their toll.

but the successes far outweigh the the adjustments.  knowing that we are already transforming this place and increasing the fertility is personally satisfying.  words just don't do it justice.

developing relationships that really make a difference and living life with a real sense of community .... those are the sorts of things that make the problems and difficulties easier to handle.

and truly ... in a permaculture / creation care world, problems are not problems at all.  they are opportunities to learn, to explore what works to improve the situation using sustainable and natural resources.  in other words ... it's fun!  it's a challenge to be tackled not something to be overwhelmed by.

and in the meantime, today i will be signing up for a beekeeping course at byron bay tafe and next week i am off to pick heaps of fruit and then turn them into jams and chutney's under the tutelage of a local expert!

i love my life!

We Are HOME!

Whew!  It's done!  we are home living at JustEarth.  hard to believe .... this dream that we have had of moving towards a more sustainable life, with a bit of land and space for the kids is coming true.  how truly blessed we are!  more than i can say in words.

and yes .... i do truly feel that way.

we have had friends help us in ways that we couldn't imagine.  God's call to live in community and walk with each other and help each other has truly blessed our lives.

routines will slowly get back into place and will no doubt make a huge difference in the long run.  new bus for the kids, day light savings, you name it, everything has been turned topsy-turvy ..... so hanging on to the familiar (church, school, relationships) has helped to keep the chaos monsters under a bit of control.

so we have a humanure composting toilet .... working a treat thank you very much!
i have a washing machine that runs like a dream
we have hot and cold running water
and a shower to boot!

.... so as far as the basics go .... can't really complain.

kitchen set up is coming along .... it's all out doors, which is fine, but we need some sort of covering.

and so begins the husband and wife debate of what sort of house to build.  we have to be realistic at the end of the day ....more to come on that one!

humanure hacienda being worked on .... give it a year, and we'll have
lovely compost coming out of this!  that's our neighbors house behind us, btw!

fruits of green manure composting thank you!  

farm days

i forgot my camera when we were out at the property with friends last week (add four kids to the mix!).  coulda shot myself for that.  if i had had it with me, you would've seen pictures of ....

• a new colour of green tree frog.  this one was light green with grey and black lines around the eyes.  
• kids in bare feet running around and having fun
• kids raking up the grass from the mower into piles for using as mulch
• ...and then ripping it down and forming it into forts to shoot each other from!
• playing "red light / green light" and "what's the time mr wolf" across this vast expanse
• exploring the dam and seeing all the cool life that surrounds a water source.

it was really a treat for me to see these kids running around and having fun.  it made my heart happy is really the only way i can say it.  it's always been about doing the best for our family ... about being a family.  so, because i forgot the camera .... here are a few other shots of times out at the farm where the kids have inspired me and us .... to keep on keeping on!

our friend Trevor with the kids ... he just delivered two large hay bales!
thank you!

the first large green tree frog .... we've seen a fair few smaller ones, but this is
the only one that has sat still long enuf for us to take a picture.

JJ and friend playing in the hay .... 'nuf said!

daddy showing Raymie how to scythe!

too cute .... farmer JJ!

every farm must have it's princess ... and we have one to fit the bill!
perched high atop her throne!

hey mum!  look at me!

planting the pea tree! (a la River Cottage!)

... yes mum .... i put in all the green manure like you asked me too!

Ninja JJ  coming up from behind the compost pile!

Here's the thing ....

here we are .... waiting.

waiting to exchange on the land.  waiting because we have city slicker brokers and solicitors who want to make this as painful a process as possible.  i know there job is to make sure that all the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed .... but you know what????

ALL I WANT TO DO IS PLANT SOME VEGGIES ON MY LAND!!!!!

sorry ... just had to say that.  we live in a world that is so paranoid of this that and the other that it stops us from enjoying the world around us.  liability and lawsuits and screwing your neighbor or business associate reign supreme.  

but guess what?  not in my world.  the thing is ... i don't think that way -- we don't live that way.

one of the things that hits you big when you move rural is that people don't think that way.  people in the country are more genuine and more gentle than you could imagine.  we have certainly found that.  and add on top of that networking in the sustainable ag / permaculture network, where working as a community and helping each other is a guiding principle .... well ... you can't help but have the best of both worlds.

don't get me wrong .... we certainly do give things the once over and check stuff out.  however ...we trust the folks that we deal with.  when it comes to designing our property .... well, i'm thrilled to have Terrasancta Permaculture on board.  i know and trust where he is coming from.  and the same holds true with potential builders ... knowing that they have a sustainable bent means that we are coming from the same perspective and it's about helping .... sure they have to earn a living.  but they aren't out to screw us and get what they can.

it's where permaculture and sustainability is about so much more than growing things.  it's about a lifestyle.  and next to my dear brothers and sisters in the christian community .... i reckon the permie's have a good thing going. i suppose that is why i call myself a creation care activist .... it marries both of them in the best of ways.

permaculture is about people care and fair share, along with creation care.  it means that we help each other.

here's the thing .... trust me when i say that getting engaged in creation care and understanding what being wise stewards of this amazing world is all about ... well ... it will bloody change you .... completely.  

utterly and completely.

the country folk blessing

so today we went to another farm.  lots of those here in our neck of the woods!  it's great inspiration for us as well as heaps of fun for the kids.  seeing what others are doing .... how they are choosing to live off the land in a way that works for their lifestyle.  it's really interesting and very fun!

as an adult, conversations about the coal seam gas issues, pasture regeneration, animal sickness, etc. are always interesting discussions.  and no less so today.  this little 6 acre small holding was fabulous!  the plethora of food that they grow and the availability of great produce cannot be minimised.  and they do all this with 4 kids running around!  amazing!    when i left today, i had a head and heart filled with great information and a strong sense of community.  i love the way country folk are so inclined to share of themselves .... no pretense and very "take me as i am" attitude.  it certainly warms my heart and my messy home!  there is a transparency about living rural that i am happily embracing as each day in this gorgeous little world goes by.

my larder has been richly blessed as well!  a queensland jap, zuchinni, mulberry tree cuttings and yummy tomatoes.  yes that is raw milk .... yes it tastes fabulous and yes .... i am feeling the need to make some cheese!  or try at least!

the bounty!    

they also do rabbits.  it's a good option for a small holding, given the limited land and the need to be able to feed good protein to your growing kids.  and yes .... they are cute! and yes, he does kill, skin and freeze them.  has two mobs on the go ..... this was a mum and 8 babies.  there was another pen with a mum and 6 babies.  they are good to go from about 5 months.  he keeps them up to two years, depending on need.  you treat the older animals like you would your end of the line laying hens.  broil them up and pick the meat off the bone and it works just fine!

i reckon if i can get my head and heart used to the idea of killing chooks to eat i can do the same with rabbits.  they have names for all of their animals .... but it's that relationship with the animal and respect for the fact that God called us to be wise stewards and care for them and use them wisely that makes killing them easier.  as joel salatin sais ..... they have great lives and one bad day.

oh, and in case you were wondering if the kids had any fun ..... <g>

... off to make stuffed zucchinni for dinner now!

our first ... completely local meal!!!

i felt a real sense of satisfaction in the kitchen yesterday as i prepared our dinner.  in the past our meals have had a different elements of "home grown".  from home made bread to veggies or eggs .... you name it.  but they were always supplemented from a diet of things from the grocery store.  but last night as i prepared dinner i realised that everything we were eating was local.  and it felt really good.  a reminder that i was doing the right thing by our local growers and community .... whether i was growing my own or not.

typically locally grown is defined as within 100 kms.  give or take a few kms here or there.  the logic being that cost and time is being expended to get them to grocery store so that cost savings is passed on to you. (e.g., stuff grown in the northern rivers, shipped to sydney, packaged and then sent back to the northern rivers grocery stores for sale .... what a waste!).  when we lived in the blue mountians we had markets .... but they were full of too much craft stuff.  so i really avoided them.  what i wanted was a pure farmers market.  and woa!  they abound aplenty here!

saturday morning i went to the farmers market at kyogle.  not a huge market .... but certainly full of produce.  i walked away with enough fruit and veg to get us by for the week, and so much cheaper than in the city!  and a few treats to boot!  blue berries and macadamia nuts (i feel a tart coming on!), gonna even try a few tamarillo's!  woohoo!

as i cut the veg up ... i felt really good that i was supporting the local economy here in our area.  helping the farmers by cutting out the middle man.  and on top of that i was doing what was right for our family.  instead of having a bag of beans that have traveled from timbuktu and back again and will go off in a week ... these veg will last .... truly!  they were just picked!

oh .... and what did we have for dinner?  sorry .... forgot to take a picture.

lightly crumbed local snapper with lime juice

warm wilted spinach, two bean salad

with walnuts and parmesan, and a 
balsamic lemon/lime dressing

wish you could've joined us.  the flavours were divine!  maybe next time?  

what i had reinforced was that taking the time to go to a farmers market rather than a grocery store provided me with fresh, cheaper food than i would find anywhere else.  i wonder what farmers markets are in your area?

happy sigh

the mindset is starting to shift.  not so grumpy anymore and starting to think about the possibilities (more on that later) and being ever so grateful for what we have learned here.  

lots of bloggers do "wordless" days .... where they let a picture speak a thousand words.  i love those.  simple on words, heavy on content ... and of course, GREAT photography.  now, i'm not the worlds greatest photographer.  but just wanted to share a few things that i smile and reflect on and how happy i am with where they have come, and what i have learned from the process.

do you remember my mammoth snow pea experiment ... ala "river cottage" with the pea tree?  well, here is the tree when it went in.  the idea and the concept seemed great.  i was really happy.  but would it work?

and here is what they look like today.

and they are gonna give me some great snow pea's to munch on!   we'll be able to harvest heaps of these before we move.

and of course, the front bed has lovely crimson broad beans coming up too.

between this batch and those coming up in the back yard, i am hopeful that we will be harvesting at least some before we move.

and my artichokes.  oh how i love artichokes!  and here i have moved the babies i grew from seeds to the front yard, after a massive trim to ensure work went into the root system to get them settled.  i have to say ... i was concerned i had "over" trimmed them .....

but, i should not have worried.  they have come back a treat.  and while i won't be the beneficiary of the fruits of my labour (gonna get dug up yet again and given to a friend) .... i can say with great certainty that yes!  i can grow artichokes!  (and yes, that is spinach growing in front of the artichoke plants .... yummo!)

all-in-all we have been pretty happy with what we've learned from our planting in the front yard.  oh, and i forgot to mention the pea's .... greenfeast and golden rod ..... both coming up gloriously!

so it's time to be thankful for what we've learned and get excited about what the next step of our lives holds.  thank you for your patience and putting up with my grumpy doldrums.  plants are being given away to folks who will lovingly care for and grow them .... i am even giving some just sprouting plants to a young girl who wants to learn more about gardening .... <g>  see, even i can inspire the next generation.

Permaculture 101 ...

this is a blog posting about a definition of permaculture.  it is a term that you are probably aware of .... but may or may not know what it means.  and i thot it might be nice to take the time to delve into this world for a bit and look at this thing called permaculture.  one of the beauties of permaculture is that it is fluid and flexible, molding itself to the context within which you live.  but at the core there are three basic principles.

1. caring for each other
2. caring for the planet
3. learning to set limits on excess

that probably sounds a bit nebulous, huh?  remember this if you remember nothing else ... permaculture is NOT about gardening or how you grow your veggies.  permaculture is much more than that .... it is about a way of living,  of engaging with our world and living your life in a way that integrates rather than separates.  

 okay, okay ... take a minute to watch this (give it a few seconds ... the first little bit is blank)



i want to say straight up that i see permaculture as a truly biblical thing that at it's core has a Divine Creator who made a world that we could live in and that we need to be wise stewards of.  but i don't want to get lost in that conversation right now .... it's a great one, trust me!  but right now, let's focus on what permaculture is, as a definition.

a lot of the outwardly facing aspects of permaculture focus on the earth and how we exist in relationship to it and a basic word called sustainability.  so let's talk about that a little.  Geoff Lawton, Bill Mollison are well known Australians who basically started the global acceptance of this this called permaculture (PERMA = permanent and CULTURE = people living .... so a permanent sustainable way of living.  this is of course in opposition to the non-sustainable, wasteful way that our world is going. 

if you look at the world through the "permie" coloured glasses, you ask how we can re-use rather than throw away (no matter how simple throwing away seems to be)?  you try your best to live a life that closes the loop on our waste and recycles as much as possible in a way that is productive in your own lives.  and yes, you grow your own veggies and have chooks.  but you companion plant your veggies and look into things like vertical gardening and aquaponics (in contrast to hydroponics).  you live by the seasons.  and your chooks .... well, they take top billing as they not only give us yummy eggs, but they eat the scraps and waste from our kitchen and make amazing poo that fertilizes our gardens and helps make great soil to grow our food in (closing the loop on waste!). and lets not forget about solar power and water tanks! 

now, if you are like me .... when i first got into sustainability and permaculture the cool stuff seemed to be the gardening (hey, permaculture developed the NO DIG garden <g>) ... and i love the way everything relates and interacts and supports each other .... so this is the guy who really motivated me ... and inspires me to continue on the path of the true blue "permie" ..... enjoy!

living in community

friends of mine are getting into sustainable living in a big way .... and, as for many in their shoes, the big leap is to get chickens. understanding the value they bring to a home with eggs and the manure for composting was the easy sell.  but they are a responsibility and understanding the best way to care for them can seem daunting .... but when you take the leap!  woohoo! 

so ... they want chooks ... and we can help 'em out! 



chook coop in the trailer and
ready to go!



other friends of mine are moving (i'm sad!) ... and they won't be taking their chickens and so need to find them a new home.  so why not bring these guys together so they help each other out?

 

so here we are on the saturday wedged between Good Friday and Holy Easter .... living in community and helping out friends.  what a joy it was!

we started off by getting the bits into the trailer and moving them.  we all met and helped out together!  thankfully, we were able to pull apart the chicken coop to a point of fitting it into our trailer with ease.  the chooks, food and watering can were packed up and we were ready to go .... but not until we had a great natter over morning tea / coffee and the kids had a play.  

then it was off to get the girls set up in their new chook mansion.  we had a bit of work to do as during the move a few bit came off ... but we assumed the position and with hammers in hand put those boards back in place.  and then the fencing came into play, and after one revision .... voula!  the short term chicken run was in place and the girls were launched into their accomodation. 

the final fixin's!

a lot of good came out of today.  peoples needs were met.  people were encouraged to live in a more sustainable way.  words can't really describe the joy in just being with like minded folk who want to improve how they live by living in community ...  by engaging in each others lives.   

  

me hammering a nail ...
what a joke!



how often do we really reach out and engage those around us?  our neighbors?  or do we live lives that shy away from meeting people where they are at .... even if it is just a smile?  is it easier to turn away and ignore those around us than to see if there is something that we can do to help?  when was the last time that you reached out to those around you?  and if not, why not?  if you were in trouble, wouldn't you want to know that help was right next door with a neighbor? 



the temporary shelter is done!
enjoy girls!



to have a good neighbor we need to be a good neighbor.  it doesn't take a lot.  a bit of kindness .... if you see a need, meet it.  the rewards are amazing.  when we left our friends house today it felt good knowing that we had helped someone out.  okay .... so maybe it wasn't a life threatening issue that we helped with ....but it was helping.  it was assisting them in getting somewhere they wanted to go.  getting outside of our walls of protection and doing something for someone else .... and it felt good.

as for the chooks .... they will be a great addition to their household.  besides being a great diversion, they will provide eggs, work the soil and create great compost.  you beauty!  <g>

a sprouting hope!

i was taking a wander around the front veggie patch yesterday .... wondering how long until the fruits of our labour would start to show.  see ... i love this time of year .... with the anticipation of what might be coming up. 

... and there it was .... i wasn't even looking and the first green tendrils of my winter patch are starting to come through the good earth.  only one problem .... WHAT are you?

what are you?

is this a left over from my summer garden?  hmmm ...  it looks like a bean .... but that's the wrong spot for you ... i planted those at the other end of the bed.  and then i raise my eyes slightly and glance down the far end of the bed and see ... more green!  just little hints .... but you .... i know you!  you are my mamoth snow peas!  I can't wait to see how you turn out!  <g>

so fall has arrived and winter is coming quicker than we know.  the beds are settling in for a good production i think.  these are from my front bed ... where i also have greenfeast peas, comfrey, parsnips, garlic and my ever favorite broad beans.  i love the anticipation .... i know what i planted (well, most of the time at least!).... and the joys of seeing it come up are just so encouraging to my green thumb nature. 

for me, so much of what i do in the garden mimics how i engage with my life.  the success of  my labors and the failures as well.  the surprises and those stalwart things that are relied upon.  i have my broad beans down to a fine art now ... they are a reliable source of food for our family each spring. depend on that.  in the same way that i rely on my family and friends for support.  of knowing that friend who i almost religiously have a text skype with each morning over a cup of coffee .... just to get the day going.  and of course the immutible and never changing presence of my Father God and being able to dump it all at his feet, knowing that He can handle it. 

and what about those unexpected things?  i wonder how many of those precious little treasures i miss because i'm not looking or engaging with those around me enough.  there was a real grin on my face when i saw what was in the garden .... wondering what it was ....an unexpected pleasure and gift in the middle of it all!  whoohooy ! so it should be with my friends and those i am in relationship with each day.  to take the time to see the little things that make a day more than it would have been ... and to appreciate each little bend in the road as a surprise and joy to be embraced.

Where Have You Been?????

well .... it's been over a week since my last thought posting.  and, honestly, i do have a real excuse!  i've been on holidays!  and oh what a holiday it was!

i've just returned from the country that is so near and dear to my heart .... the Philippines.  if there was ever a country that chooses to live in simplicity .... it would have to be the Philippines.  i'm sure it can be said of many developing countries .... but for me .... it is the Philippines.

would you dare to live a simple life?  no excess .... but only the essentials?  it forces you to focus on the things that are important .... PEOPLE.  every time i go to the Philippines i am overwhelmed by the kindness and easy-ness with which people are involved in their community.  no expectations .... only participation.  no need to be jealous of what your neighbor has because most of it is communal anyway. 

ironically, it is this lack of striving to be "better and bigger" that probably lends a great deal to why the Philippines will never be a global leader .... they just don't try to.  sure there are elements of that .... you find it everywhere .... but as a whole, they are not a people who NEED to be better than their neighbor.

think about it.  look out your window at your neighbors house .... could you (or maybe you already do!) live in community with them?  sharing of your life and stuff so that their lives are better? it is a concept that many of us westerners have a real problem with ... we need our privacy, we need to live apart .... JUST BECAUSE.  i am a firm believer that this approach breeds distance and jealousy. 


what are things that you could to to be more neighborly?  here are a few to try!

• put a gate in your fence between you and your neighbor
• make something yummy and take it to your neighbor .... just because
• take in their garbage bins after collection day
• if you see them struggling to get something done .... offer to help
• and here is a really simple one .... SMILE

so don't come by my house and expect me to have a gate in my back fence .... i'm still working on it.  but i can tell you that i talk to all my neighbors and have given most of them help at one point or another.  and you know what?  they have helped me in return. 

Contemplation.

i have just turned 50.  woohoo.  <g>  instead of a big party i did something for myself .... i indulged in what has until now been a fairly closet passion: a greenie love of the environment. i went to a permaculture course, had a blast -- and had my eyes opened!

surely my christian friends would laugh at me.  surely compared to the need to show God's love and grace to others this is miniscule in comparision.  so i rarely talk about it .... rarely discuss what sits heavy on my heart: God gave us this world to use, love and be wise stewards of .... and, quite frankly, we've screwed it up.  this time away taught me that i should no longer be quiet about it.

we have a mandate now more than ever to care for the Creation that God has entrusted to us.  i want my kids to enjoy fresh, non GM food and to live an abundant life .... and to know our Saviors love through that.   so for me, being a wise steward (trying ... not perfect, but trying!), and teaching my kids how to cherish God's world will only make them fall in love with the Creator more ... and want to share His amazing Love with others.

i learned a term this weekend ... Evangelical Environmentalism.  it is the new term for those believers who take seriously our stewardship of this world.  now this course was certainly not about faith or about religion!  but i saw the core principles of permaculture and said .... man!  those are straight from the bible!  they are using God's mandate to love others, care for others, live in community and be wise stewards .... all which can be scripturally supported. 

 i am forced to reflect on so much.  i have wanted to live today better than yesterday and hope for tomorrow more than i have today.  i think of two things from the weekend that have been profound for me.
-- life happens!  it is the way that God designed it.  i see this in the area that our chickens are scratching away at ... the left overs i feed them and the borlotti beans and cherry tomato's that can't help but spring up!
-- we have all been made in the image of our Grand Designer.  He has given us the ability to design and reclaim this world in the way He intended it to be.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++
reflection  ..... 5 July 2011

so ... i've been doing this blog for over 3 months now .... is my heart still passionate about our role in God's redemption of Creation?  of what he has called us too?  for me, and more importantly, for our family .... that answer is a resounding YES.

each day we are learning a little bit more about the small and big things we can do to honour our Lord by understanding how He created this planet, the systems that are the best for growing things and providing for our family.  what does that mean?  well, truthfully .... it means heaps of fun!  we are learning about cool things in our garden .... mushrooms, aquaponics ... how to grow stuff with less effort and more reward -- and regenerating and making good soil to boot!  understanding that we don't have to have things brand spankin' new .... but that recycling and reusing is actually MUCH MORE REWARDING!  and ... learning about our friends and neighbors .... living in community more.

so yes ... we are continuing to move towards a creation care mentality .... and with each step we take, we are more committed to it and this call that God has placed on our hearts.  will you join us?

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears

All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.

This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;

His hand the wonders wrought.