Gasshō,
While watching a clip of the state of world during the Cuban Missile Crisis, I realized “the world” has often been on what seemed the brink of annihilation. From the perspective of now viewing then, I suppose each time it can seem that that time really wasn’t as bad as this one. This time really is bad. In the words of one of our favorite stories, maybe yes, maybe no. Every disaster or catastrophe, whether personal or global, certainly feels awful while it’s happening, and then we’re apt to move on, for the most part forgetting about it. The “awful” aspect of it tends to become a memory that’s referenced when the next “awful” arrives and reminds us. Currently, I find I need that perspective when there’s so much that is arguably awful happening for so many all around the world. We will likely get through this time, and my only wish about it is that it makes us kinder and more loving.
Here in our little corner of the world, even as all that difficulty rolls on, so much good stuff is coming together that, gratefully, the awareness of the Goodness That Is is not obscured. It’s true that the bulk of what we’re celebrating is at the Farm, but throughout Practice and Sangha as well there’s so much good.
We’ve had many weeks of Best Shape Possible calls, which have truly been inspiring. Sangha shining extra brightly. We extended it a few weeks past the original ending date and will look to see about taking it back up after we return from the Vallombrosa retreat.
The Yearlong Retreat will continue throughout our travels to and from the retreat, as well as during the retreat. If you’re a part of the Yearlong you’re very familiar with us encouraging you to “get in the queue.” Now that encouragement is more fervent than ever as so many folks who would ordinarily be in the queue will be on retreat and unable to call in. So, if you’re one of those who listens in, but doesn’t hit that *6 button, this will be the time to step up. A gift to all of us!
Also, there will be no Open Air on July 21.
Top-Tier Nagging has launched with enthusiastic response. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for you if you have that project, ambition, goal, dream that the voices of egocentric karmic conditioning/self-hate have been talking you out of getting on with. Contact Top-Tier Nagging here.
This next one doesn’t really fit any category. I’m including it because I find it fascinating, and, as a practitioner of awareness, truly informative.
The Farm
We badly needed a place to get out of the elements during farming days—and a place to sit for our tea time. As you may remember, we bought a carport for our outdoor living area. No sooner was it set up than the barn swallows found a place for a nest, clearly believing all farm buildings are theirs. They built it before we saw it and were able to intervene. So, we shared. At first they weren’t enthused, but eventually seemed to make peace with the fact that we were here to stay.
Birds are not the tidiest housemates. It didn’t take long to realize we needed to keep our area safely to ourselves since they were not sensitive in their bathroom habits. No surprise, we are nervous with bird babies. They would poke their heads up like dogs hanging out of a car window, and we were convinced they were going to topple right out onto the concrete floor below. Sure enough one finally managed. Brian got a ladder, a pair of gloves, picked up the tiny creature and returned it to the nest. Is that going to work? Who knows. He put a big pile of grass clippings under the nest and we all hoped for the best.
No more escapees.
A few days later, as we set up our tea, we noticed a very small bird who appeared to be getting coaching from one of those we had decided was a parent. It dashed about the structure of the carport, trying to find a place to land, giving up and making a huge swoop around the area before returning to a perch near the nest. In the next day or so we realized there were no birds.
Time to reclaim our tea room, but, oh, dear, we have to take that nest down and will there be a little dead bird in it? Had it recovered after being replaced in the nest? Down came the nest, blessedly empty. All had safely made it.
 Boards keep bird’s nests away |
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Quick, get the rest of the place cleaned up because here they come again. We felt like true villains as we shooed them away, all the while attempting to communicate that there’s this beautiful new shed they can make their own.
And a lovely shed it is. As more than one has noted, far more attractive than the house. As we left for the day they seemed to be relocating to a corner of the shed. (We had a brief conversation about their toileting.)
We moved JG’s attachments into the new shed (JG is our Jolly Green loader), and at that point all of the accomplishments of the week came together. Instead of loading those buckets of veggies, chopped and ready to build a new compost pile, into carts that we would pull by hand across the field, we loaded them into the back of Rosie. Then we took off, me driving Rosie and Brian driving JG down the road and across the entrance to the new access at the far end of the property!
The day before, a culvert was installed that allows us to drive directly into the compost area.
 Richter is relocated away from baby tomatoes. |
Talk about a red-letter day. It’s not just that the amount of physical labor is dramatically reduced, it’s that we have the potential to get so much more done. And, that is a great hope for us. Day by day the weeds get more aggressive in their iniquitous plan to take over completely! As do the slugs! |
The final major accomplishment of the week was remodeling the mailbox. When we got the notice saying all mailboxes needed to be 41 inches from the ground, I confess I rolled my eyes. With all that needs to be done in the world, that’s what we’re being told by the government is the priority? Really? Well, turns out there’s a very good reason. Mail carriers are developing a form of carpal tunnel in their shoulders from the movement they need to make to put mail in mailboxes far below the window of their vehicle. Nobody wants that, and so our mailbox got a “facelift.” The operation didn’t go all that well, but mission accomplished. Not pretty, but serviceable.
Last Farm item is a longshot, but, hey, if you don’t ask, you’ll never know. If anyone reading this has an electric vehicle that it would benefit you more to donate than to sell, we’d be delighted to give it a happy home.
Along with the pictures, we’ve included a video revealing how crazy we got in our excitement with all the new possibilities.
In gasshō,
ch