turn it up!!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
why community garden?
Imagine creating a place where every kind of person feels welcome. Everyone walks through the gate just as they are, digs in the dirt just as they are, and changes the world .
Cultivate a better quality of life for all who enter the community garden, walk by on the street, or receive nourishment from the food grown within them.
Sow the seeds of community. In a neighborhood or city the garden provides a place for people to develop community, and forms a catalyst for social interaction. Involvement in the community promotes feeling responsibility for its well being and a safer town blooms.
Reap the lessons learned. Teaching children in the garden sets them up for a lifetime of healthy living. When you educate a parent they become a teacher for their children. Whether parents are learning about nutritious eating or organic gardening, the impact is infinite.
Experience the happiness of a family that has food on their table. Especially in these chaotic times a basket of vegetables goes a long way. Gardening can make a great contribution towards financial security and also heals one’s soul as they experience the therapies of working with the earth and the success of seeing a tiny seed become sustenance.
Tend the earth. Gardening has a great effect on the environment. By working in the garden individuals become aware of the difference that they can make. In witnessing the growth that happens in the earth we learn about our own growth, the conditions that we need to live, and the way that life prospers. We learn about a little world of plant and animals and insects that we don’t consciously interact with on a normal basis.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
a breath of fresh air
i have this reoccurring dream, a nightmare really, where i am speaking and then screaming, but no one can hear me. the sensation i feel now is similar, albeit very different. below i'll copy and paste some words. wise ones, from jason mraz, a wise man. not to mention an inspired vehicle for energizing harmony and love-ly lyrics. yes, indeed. jason's words could be my own. but, on some days when my words are spoken to deaf ears, jason's gotta say it for me. as if we share a brain, and a heart. not just myself and mr. mraz, but all of the world together. one heart beat, a synchronized breath.
i think it might be against every blog law to post something this long but, get ready. persevere. it's not thaaat long and your life will feel richer after reading. wealthier in wisdom. always good, right?
"Last year Bob Dylan compiled a song list for Starbucks’ Artist Choice Series. In addition to offering up a keen selection of country, blues, and jazz, he also supplied notes and commentary as to why he held the songs in such regard. BUT, the best part was the forward.
He wrote, "When I was asked to put together this collection of songs, I wasn't sure what to do. So I just grabbed a bunch of things I was into recently. Some people have favorite songs, but I've got songs of the minute -- songs that I'm listening to right now. And if you ask me about one of those songs a year from now, I might not even remember who did it, but at the moment it's everything to me.”
I bring this up as today’s lesson: Nothing is final. One day you’re high. The next day you’re low. You might have a funky, expressive, or awful haircut today, but soon it will grow into something else, something new and random. Maybe you grew up liking pop music and boy bands, but now you like a specific mash up of Electronic & Classical. You might decide you don’t want to smoke cigarettes anymore; that it’s just not who you are. Maybe you were a staunch republican but now have curiosities about the well-spoken and well-organized Democratic Nominee. Perhaps you were madly in love last week, but woke up today feeling comfort in solitude, without a desire to be held.
Everything is fine. Not finAL.
We tend to instantly identify with “things.” And we believe in so much, when in fact, a belief isn't known to be true. It's a hope for the truth. We hold grudges because of what someone said when we were young. We store hurtful words and replay them in our minds until we think it to be true. And some of us believe a TV commercial and think we need a faster computer, a smarter phone, a stronger pill, a more relaxed-fit jean, etc. We think that certain things, thoughts, or actions make us who we are and sometimes we become addicted to those thoughts or behaviors and then become too afraid to let them go.
I write and post a lot therefore many people assume I have every self-published word memorized or that I live these shared thoughts constantly. This is not the case. My brain doesn’t reference myself very well actually, and I’m sure I contradict myself every other day in one way or another. One day I feel like I have all the wisdom of the world and the next day my soul wears thin and I stutter just ordering ice cream.
And everything is fine.
Because I trust in the ever-changing climate of the heart. (At least, today I feel that way.) I think it is necessary to have many experiences for the sake of feeling something; for the sake of being challenged, and for the sake of being expressive, to offer something to someone else, to learn what we are capable of. These meanderings, rants, and blogs for instance, provide a great deal of comfort just sharing it, even though i put a part of myself on the line to be criticized or considered an ass.
Oh well, Courage is triumph of the soul is guess. and an Ass can still be of great service.
So Remember, You have the right to change your mind.
About anything.
Anytime.
This is not the ending.
P.S. – No doesn’t mean forever. It simply means, “Not right now.”
And on the topic of Not right now, whatever happened to you in the past is not happening now.
You will be safe behind your honest decisions and mood swings.
I promise."
He wrote, "When I was asked to put together this collection of songs, I wasn't sure what to do. So I just grabbed a bunch of things I was into recently. Some people have favorite songs, but I've got songs of the minute -- songs that I'm listening to right now. And if you ask me about one of those songs a year from now, I might not even remember who did it, but at the moment it's everything to me.”
I bring this up as today’s lesson: Nothing is final. One day you’re high. The next day you’re low. You might have a funky, expressive, or awful haircut today, but soon it will grow into something else, something new and random. Maybe you grew up liking pop music and boy bands, but now you like a specific mash up of Electronic & Classical. You might decide you don’t want to smoke cigarettes anymore; that it’s just not who you are. Maybe you were a staunch republican but now have curiosities about the well-spoken and well-organized Democratic Nominee. Perhaps you were madly in love last week, but woke up today feeling comfort in solitude, without a desire to be held.
Everything is fine. Not finAL.
We tend to instantly identify with “things.” And we believe in so much, when in fact, a belief isn't known to be true. It's a hope for the truth. We hold grudges because of what someone said when we were young. We store hurtful words and replay them in our minds until we think it to be true. And some of us believe a TV commercial and think we need a faster computer, a smarter phone, a stronger pill, a more relaxed-fit jean, etc. We think that certain things, thoughts, or actions make us who we are and sometimes we become addicted to those thoughts or behaviors and then become too afraid to let them go.
I write and post a lot therefore many people assume I have every self-published word memorized or that I live these shared thoughts constantly. This is not the case. My brain doesn’t reference myself very well actually, and I’m sure I contradict myself every other day in one way or another. One day I feel like I have all the wisdom of the world and the next day my soul wears thin and I stutter just ordering ice cream.
And everything is fine.
Because I trust in the ever-changing climate of the heart. (At least, today I feel that way.) I think it is necessary to have many experiences for the sake of feeling something; for the sake of being challenged, and for the sake of being expressive, to offer something to someone else, to learn what we are capable of. These meanderings, rants, and blogs for instance, provide a great deal of comfort just sharing it, even though i put a part of myself on the line to be criticized or considered an ass.
Oh well, Courage is triumph of the soul is guess. and an Ass can still be of great service.
So Remember, You have the right to change your mind.
About anything.
Anytime.
This is not the ending.
P.S. – No doesn’t mean forever. It simply means, “Not right now.”
And on the topic of Not right now, whatever happened to you in the past is not happening now.
You will be safe behind your honest decisions and mood swings.
I promise."
did you love that as much as i did? i hope so. kinda looooong. but really goood ;)
this can also be found at jm's blog: http://freshnessfactorfivethousand.blogspot.com
check check check it out.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
that was fun. and a bit therapeutic, perhaps.
25 things about me. you can also find this on facebook. oh, thankyou facebook.
1. i love people. big small short and tall. people with pretty hearts and shiny smiles. but when it comes down to it, allll people.
2. just a few things make me happier than riding my bike around town. especially downtown boise. on the sidewalks. weaving in and out of people.
3. i blog. it feels slightly self-centered, and im nearly positive that no one reads what i write. but i like it. kind of like these 25 things...
4. art. means the world to me.
and i give away most of what i create.
i feel most inspired to create when i have a specific person in mind who will receive whatever it is that im working on.
5. im a hopelessly hopeless romantic.
6. i have a mile long list of things i want to learn and places that i want to visit.
some included: india, basket weaving, northern part of south america and central america, linoleum block printing, screen printing, more and more and more.
7. im not very good at staying in the same place for very long. wanderlust is my life and my feet are itchy itchy itchy. that said, i adore little boise. the people, the foothills, the river. i love it all. i prefer the mountains over the beach almost any day.
8. i believe that the purpose of life is to share. my life, at least.
to share our hearts and our thoughts, our food, our love, sometimes our money. just to share a bit of what we have with other beings.
9. africa goes everywhere with me. riding around in this little pocket in my heart. i think about the people there several times a day. someday soon ill be back there again.
10. i despise money. not just because i have none. but because it creates monsters of people. and makes me anxious.
11. my feet dont like shoes much. unless it's snowing youll almost always find me in sandals. flipflops, maybe.
12. im currently in the later stages of starting a community garden in downtown boise. should be a nice little addition to our sweet sparkly town. working mostly w people who dont have access to local, fresh food. and kids. lots of soul-filled, soil-covered kids. i cant wait to plant the seeds, to see flowers grow, and to know that it all started as a tiny spark inside of ME. if i had known how much work this was going to be i might not have thrown myself into it so quickly, but now that im bellybutton deep i have got to keep going.
13. i sing in the car and in the shower and to myself when im walking down the street.
14. recently switched to an apple. and i love it. my little macbook and i are getting acquainted marvelously. just tonight i discovered a teeny tiny button on the side that makes a bunch of teeny tiny lights turn green as a measure of battery life. it's neat.
15. i want to be inspired and energized and ready-to-go every single day of my life. so far, so good. especially recently. i never want to feel the constraints of a job that i dont like.
16. i believe that people are good and on days that my hope is dwindling there is always some random act of kindness that fills me back up. like someone pushing the extra minute button on my parking meter, or a nice person bringing home a lost dog.
17. im superstitious. not sure why. not so much the black cats and stepping on cracks. more shooting stars, fortune cookies, lucky things, and other 'signs'. no clue where that came from.
18. to me, there is almost nothing more beautiful than a thoughtful handwritten letter. i love sending mail. going to the post office. picking out cards. it is all so wonderful.
19. my pets make me so happy.
20. washing dishes and folding laundry are meditative for me. baking also makes me feel warm inside.
21. i would love to walk the appalachian trail someday.
22. some say i have an old soul.
23. on some days lists keep me sane. when i write a list i feel like im emptying all of these chaotic, flying thoughts out of my brain.
24. i do my very best work in the wee hours of the night. cleaning, reading, organizing, writing. all around 2 am.
25. im going to start bee keeping this spring. just signed myself up to 'catch a swarm'. how scary is that? but im excited! honey, anybody?
2. just a few things make me happier than riding my bike around town. especially downtown boise. on the sidewalks. weaving in and out of people.
3. i blog. it feels slightly self-centered, and im nearly positive that no one reads what i write. but i like it. kind of like these 25 things...
4. art. means the world to me.
and i give away most of what i create.
i feel most inspired to create when i have a specific person in mind who will receive whatever it is that im working on.
5. im a hopelessly hopeless romantic.
6. i have a mile long list of things i want to learn and places that i want to visit.
some included: india, basket weaving, northern part of south america and central america, linoleum block printing, screen printing, more and more and more.
7. im not very good at staying in the same place for very long. wanderlust is my life and my feet are itchy itchy itchy. that said, i adore little boise. the people, the foothills, the river. i love it all. i prefer the mountains over the beach almost any day.
8. i believe that the purpose of life is to share. my life, at least.
to share our hearts and our thoughts, our food, our love, sometimes our money. just to share a bit of what we have with other beings.
9. africa goes everywhere with me. riding around in this little pocket in my heart. i think about the people there several times a day. someday soon ill be back there again.
10. i despise money. not just because i have none. but because it creates monsters of people. and makes me anxious.
11. my feet dont like shoes much. unless it's snowing youll almost always find me in sandals. flipflops, maybe.
12. im currently in the later stages of starting a community garden in downtown boise. should be a nice little addition to our sweet sparkly town. working mostly w people who dont have access to local, fresh food. and kids. lots of soul-filled, soil-covered kids. i cant wait to plant the seeds, to see flowers grow, and to know that it all started as a tiny spark inside of ME. if i had known how much work this was going to be i might not have thrown myself into it so quickly, but now that im bellybutton deep i have got to keep going.
13. i sing in the car and in the shower and to myself when im walking down the street.
14. recently switched to an apple. and i love it. my little macbook and i are getting acquainted marvelously. just tonight i discovered a teeny tiny button on the side that makes a bunch of teeny tiny lights turn green as a measure of battery life. it's neat.
15. i want to be inspired and energized and ready-to-go every single day of my life. so far, so good. especially recently. i never want to feel the constraints of a job that i dont like.
16. i believe that people are good and on days that my hope is dwindling there is always some random act of kindness that fills me back up. like someone pushing the extra minute button on my parking meter, or a nice person bringing home a lost dog.
17. im superstitious. not sure why. not so much the black cats and stepping on cracks. more shooting stars, fortune cookies, lucky things, and other 'signs'. no clue where that came from.
18. to me, there is almost nothing more beautiful than a thoughtful handwritten letter. i love sending mail. going to the post office. picking out cards. it is all so wonderful.
19. my pets make me so happy.
20. washing dishes and folding laundry are meditative for me. baking also makes me feel warm inside.
21. i would love to walk the appalachian trail someday.
22. some say i have an old soul.
23. on some days lists keep me sane. when i write a list i feel like im emptying all of these chaotic, flying thoughts out of my brain.
24. i do my very best work in the wee hours of the night. cleaning, reading, organizing, writing. all around 2 am.
25. im going to start bee keeping this spring. just signed myself up to 'catch a swarm'. how scary is that? but im excited! honey, anybody?
and a hurry-up-spring recipe:
guacamole salad
1 pint grape tomatoes whole
1 yellow pepper diced
1/2 cup diced red onion
15 oz. black beans (about a can. rinsed and drained)
2 T. jalapeno
1/2 t. lime zest
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1/4 c olive oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic chopped
pour liquid mixture over veggies
dice avocado and mix in to salad
YUM!
make soil, not war
i've been reading a book lately called
"plenty- eating locally on the 100 mile diet".
it's about a couple in british columbia who decide to eat a diet made exclusively from food grow or produced within one hundred miles of their home.
imagine what that would mean in boise... no salt, no curry powder (or any spices for that matter), no olive oil, no pineapple, or bananas... the list goes on and on.
on the flip side, take a minute to think about the distances that our food travels. from the plastic wrapper, to the processing and all the way to our local mega-mart.
we have no clue where our food has been!
the change to eating the food that surrounds us would make our world and our bellies so much happier. we have an abundance of potatoes, corn, onions, greens, all kinds of veggies in the summer that could be canned and frozen, access to local wineries- the list goes on.
here's a passage that caught my eye, made me stop to think, and has stuck with me:
"I had run through internet lists of local farms, hoping for some new breakthrough. One, I noticed, promised olive oil. That was something we really had been missing. The farming family had a Greek name, so if anyone would know how to coax the trees along...
'No,' the woman who answered the phone replied scornfully. 'You can't grow olives here.'
I hung up the phone, smiling inwardly. What would happen if we all stopped believing that so much was impossible? Only weeks ago I had spoken with a vineyard manager on nearby Saturna Island. His vines were arrayed on south-facing slopes wedged between the humid sea and a bank of rock walls that reflected the sun. The owners were thinking of putting in olive trees."
eggplant, peppers, a couple tomato varieties and more to come this week.
and one more passage from 'plenty' to end on:
" 'We have an insane food system, one that's totally based on cheap oil.' Is it possible to build a new and different system closer to home? It is. The lesser economies of scale could be partially offset by greater employment on small farms. Subsidies, like the $20,000 the US gov't spends on every corn grower each year, could support that small-farm economy rather than factory operations and industrial monocultures. Any of this is possible, and more. 'But it's theoretical. Is it possible to do it in practice? That's politics. People have to demand it and exercise their democratic rights.' "
Sunday, March 8, 2009
a long time coming
i've been meaning to write this for a WHILE.
"there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people."
that's an understatement.
just an update. new art, exciting life.
here's the fabulous harrison (from ghana) doing what he does best at the small village foundation auction dinner a couple of weeks ago. an amazing evening with the most perfect team of drummers sounding a steady heart beat for us all. thank you, thank you.
i can hardly believe that i was in africa almost two years ago!
a life-touching trip with the wonderful small village foundation of boise.
where did the time go?
the garden initiative has showed me how tremendously generous people are. willing to give an
hour, to meet for a chat, to write a kind email. when you take the time to share your passion people jump over hurdles to help you reach the finish line. so inspiring.
here's just one example of this love. the turtle tree seed biodynamic seed initiative in copake, new york donated seeds! lots and lots of seeds for us to plant in our community garden. the beautiful thing about this gift, is that like a stone thrown into a pond, the ripples will never stop expanding. teaching a mother or father how to grow their own food not only helps them feed themselves, it is the beginning of a lifetime of healthy eating and education for their children. and on and on and on. forever.
beautiful, beautiful seeds.
grow into beautiful vegetables.
go now, and check out their inspired work.
some new artwork.
before and after.
color makes quite a difference, doesn't it?
"there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people."
-vincent van gogh
and some more...
nice thoughts to leave on. soul and peace.
peaceful soul. soulful peace.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
