Hello, friends. I wanted to say many years ago, I was given permission by the owners to be on the hay fields and access road I wrote about in the last post, a privilege I don't take lightly, and treat with the highest respect. That said, it's onward to frugal doings. On our thrift store foray in Asheville, I bought a fleece vest for $3.99, and vintage linen dresser scarf/table runner with lace edging for .41. The runner was at a Goodwill clearance center, one of those places where you pay by weight, and is in excellent shape. I've slowly been gathering white linens, looking forward to when I experiment more with dyeing with plants and other natural materials. Pet Perks points were redeemed for a free bag of natural cat food. I enjoyed two movies at home; Sully via Netflix, and The Dressmaker via Amazon Prime. I knew Sully would be intense, and sure enough, it was a couple of hours before my adrenaline rush faded so that I could sleep. The Dressmaker had several dark moments I could have done without. I'm aware of the dark side of human nature, but don't choose to dwell on it for entertainment. Overall, it was a decent movie.
gourd chicken |
just a bit out of sync :o) |
I made my Swagbucks goal several days, and redeemed points for a $25 amazon gift card. I've been harvesting two or three asparagus spears at a time, and finally had enough to serve for dinner one night. I'm not sure if it was all the walking in Asheville that reset my metabolism, but I'm finally beginning to lose weight. Hooray! A large amount of chard was harvested, which I steamed for dinner one night. We enjoyed the leftovers another night. I noticed a bluebird looking in one of the birdhouses, and hope they'll decide to nest there. When J went to buy spinach seeds at a local small business, he was offered last year's seed packs at .25 each, and bought several. I planted it more heavily than recommended, in case the germination rate is lower. We often use seeds more than one year, so I'm not too worried, and saw that Margaret compiled a list, which showed a great deal of variation among the experts. I boiled small sweet potatoes for the pups, and am using those and chopped chard stems to supplement their dinner kibble, along with kefir.
peas in the snow |
“We struggle from the absence of our village and then we blame our symptoms on what we believe is our own lack…thereby ensuring the village we need can never appear.” (Tad Hargrave)
The individualism that manifests as self-blame — that feeling of not being enough, for ourselves or anyone, better off alone, beating ourselves up along the way.
“We internalize our problems and feel like we’re failing for not being the whole village for ourselves and others. But, what if we looked at all of our troubles – and the troubles of others – as yet one more chance for the village to reconstitute itself again? What if each of our lonely struggles wasn’t in the way of redemption, but the doorway towards it?
What if the key was our willingness to admit that it’s all been too much for us alone?"
If these thoughts intrigue you too, here's the rest of the article. Though I knew neither well, I met both of the young men mentioned, one at a talk given by Stephen Jenkinson. I believe this group and Stephen are doing some powerful and much needed work, helping us to remember a healthier way of being and being together.
I'm happy to be joining in with Brandy's Frugal Accomplishments. Be well, friends. I hope you have an enjoyable week!
4 comments:
When J comes up to Bad Axe to deliver that biodiesel plant, you'll have to have him stop by the bulk food store for you, Laurie. Their organic cane sugar is less than $1 a pound.
I believe that we have become too isolated in our communities, too. I blame some of it on TV, I remember when people used to visit with their neighbors because there was no other form of entertainment. You knew what was going on in their lives, what their struggles were. Social programs for all their good, have contributed too. Communities used to take care of their own. I remember growing up, we all pulled together to keep the local businesses and farmers from going under; we bought their products, held benefits, etc. We were behind the times where I lived so I remember a world far different than today's society. I could write an essay on it,so I better stop now. Ha!
HUgs
Jane
Wow, that's a great price on sugar, Jane! There's still a bit of the old ways here. Benefits are held a few times a year. An older neighbor keeps up with much of what's going on around here, and fills J in whenever he sees him. I'd love to read that essay! Maybe a blog post... :o)
Laurie,
My husband is an extrovert and I am an introvert. He has to be around other people to recharge and I need to be alone to recharge. A simple, but profound, difference! Dawn
Hi Dawn! Differences do make the world go round. Hopefully, you and your husband find a happy place to meet in the middle.
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