When I go too long without blogging there is so much to say that I don't know where to start, time is limited, and so I put it off another day.
We have one month left in the barn before we make like refugees. Everything in sight is getting pegged for its temporary destination: storage, grandma's, give away, sell. Who can take care of our plants? Steve suggested our friends who grow organic herbs for a living. The funny thing is that I've seen their houseplants - and they're dried up and spider mitey - the herbs look great, but the houseplants are sad. A lot of Steve's old stock from Loud Joy has gone to a local music store that is happy to have it on consignment. I can't decide what to do with the two old leather chairs from The Yale Club. The lether has deteriorated on the seat cushions and the stuffing flies out of them - they look dirty and ratty, but I've been planning on re-upholstering them. I've been planning on this for a couple of years now. Maybe I should let them go.
My dad and his family were refugees - I heard about his special refugee skills my whole life (mostly packing and not throwing anything away) and I've been thinking about that a lot lately. Not the skills (which are kind of bogus) but the experience of being a refugee. I think he had it really really good in the scope of refugee experience. I would make a terrible refugee. Just the fact that I can't be gardening this spring is breaking my heart. Aidan has been playing in the dirt that was our tomato bed last year and planting pretend tomatoes. He insists that I help him and wonders why he doesn't have any tomatoes yet.
There have been a lot of co-housing vibes floating around lately. At our playgroup in Hillsdale, a woman whose husband is an architect actually brought it up to me when she found out that our house fell through. Her husband is going to Colorado for the month of June to study green building techniques. She knows that Steve is a conractor and like-minded. Then we mentioned it to some other friends who are the herb farmers and they were not only enthusiastic, but they had another friend who had been talking to them about the same thing recently. Exciting and scary. We have an architect, a contractor and I know an environmental engineer and a kick ass attorney.
Comments
christy, i'd be totally interested in co-housing.what area are you thinking of?
As a co-refugee and pack-rat with your dad (my brother), I'm not going to touch that subject with a 10 foot pole... unless you beg me. When Liz was little, we put about 3" of dirt in a wooden box and planted 3 little rows of radishes. Seed to harvest, you can get some beauties in 3 weeks! Alfalfa and other sprouts are also neat and require daily simple action (rinse & drain through the cloth); they produce yummies fast. Just need a mayonaisse jar, a bit of cloth, seeds and water. Kid size farming! Make sure you keep us informed.
We're thinking Columbia County - or Mass right along the border, but land is expensive there.As for growing things - we planted wheatgrass for easter in a whole bunch of containers and we have it all over the house now. I'm thinking we'll garden at grandma's.
AUTHOR: Kay
EMAIL: skheder1@comcast.net
IP: 68.56.56.210
DATE: 05/03/2003 23:12:08
If you can grow some sweetgrass and braid it I can sell it.I love the ending of this piece, the conclusion. Especially the part about the kick ass attorney.
My brother has some natural building experience, and is in the planning stages of making a documentary film about it. He'd love to email with you about it: adams@mountaineyemedia.org
sounds tumultuous and exciting, Christy... i hope that everything will work out for you.we are beginner gardeners, but knowing we are trying to move over your way, we haven't planted anything, and are looking at the beds where the tomatoes and herbs were with a strange sad tugging at the heartstrings...and by the way, i can't tell you enough how wonderful you've been trying to help us find rentals and jobs over in your area, you are the best xoxo
Do the Earthboxes again. That worked out well before didn't it? Kay