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Field Notes from Lauren

I began expressing my big Cancer emotions through writing at a very young age. For me, the unique act of writing is what allows me to process and evolve fully . Today, my weekly missives follow themes that weave between the literal fields of my work in the Gemmo Forest, our family homestead garden, and the energy field we all experience. My life now follows the rhythm of the land. From spring through fall, I can be found outdoors, hands in the dirt, working alongside her husband, Joachim, to tend our 7,500-square-foot family garden or with local volunteers caring for Gemmo Forest. When the cold sets in and the fields rest, I return indoors, where I rekindle my love of writing by the wood stove, always with my faithful calico, Ruby, curled close by.

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Going Forward

Want to read this email on the web? Click here. Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people. CG Jung Dear Reader, In light of all that continues to unfold before us this final week of January, I invite you to ponder with me a moment. If the same themes that exist on the macro level are also present on the micro level, how can we grow from these painful moments? Although not easy, it is of grave importance that we consider now the themes of...

Want to read this email on the web? Click here. The only thing better than singing is more singing. Ella Fitzgerald Dear Reader, At 6 pm, it was 21 degrees Fahrenheit, and the stars were already out as I fumbled with adding a pair of corduroy trousers over multiple base layers. Tossing my head lamp into the basket, I added a second pair of merino socks, quickly laced up my snow boots, and slipped into my coat. Out into the night I went with a single mission in mind. As my dear farmer friend...

Want to read this email on the web? Click here. In the winter's silence, January speaks: try again, begin anew. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Dear Reader, A few weeks back, I shared some insights on the three stages of tree dormancy. We have been, and are, in the middle stage, winter rest or deep dormancy. The cellular changes that impact a tree’s metabolism have already taken place. Energy now is inward-focused rather than dispersed. Every action directly maintains inner harmony and protection. Our...

Want to read this email on the web? Click here. Your vision will become clear only when you look into your own heart. ~CG Jung Dear Reader, The reality of a rapidly shifting world hit hard this week, with some repercussions landing closer to home than I found comfortable. When my looping thoughts could be momentarily redirected into tangible gardening or farming projects, my mind stayed off the worry train, but sustaining that has been a challenge. Fortunately, my schedule was spacious enough...

Want to read this email on the web? Click here. Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there. ~Paulo Coelho Dear Reader, This past bleak and icy Monday, I woke from a deep dream state, ready for the new day. Allowing my memory to guide me, I refrained from lighting the path. Daylight comes soon enough, and so I cherish each dark hour of morning, abundant with potential. Although it's the heart of my home, the kitchen...

Want to read this email on the web? Click here. Faith includes noticing the mess, emptiness, and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns ~Anne Lamott Dear Reader, Happy New Moon and Solstice Weekend, and congratulations on having courageously navigated the darkest days of the year. Now it's time to welcome the season that so poignantly honors white spaces and celebrates each daily increase in light. With careful attention, take note of the spaciousness that has begun to...

Want to read this email on the web? Click here. Faith includes noticing the mess, emptiness, and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns ~Anne Lamott Dear Reader, Happy New Moon and Solstice Weekend, and congratulations on having courageously navigated the darkest days of the year. Now it's time to welcome the season that so poignantly honors white spaces and celebrates each daily increase in light. With careful attention, take note of the spaciousness that has begun to...

Want to read this email on the web? Click here. Faith includes noticing the mess, emptiness, and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns ~Anne Lamott Dear Reader, Happy New Moon and Solstice Weekend, and congratulations on having courageously navigated the darkest days of the year. Now it's time to welcome the season that so poignantly honors white spaces and celebrates each daily increase in light. With careful attention, take note of the spaciousness that has begun to...

Want to read this email on the web? Click here. “I dwell in possibility…”― Emily Dickinson Dear Reader, It seems our 4-inch snowpack from last week is planning to stay, which would ordinarily keep me out of the garden, except for this one thing. Under that layer, there is something worth harvesting and a story that wants to be told. As I'm sure you have come to realize, I’m a born experimenter. I love nothing more than a wild first attempt, and envisioning second tries can be equally...

Want to read this email on the web? Click here. The inner is foundation of the outerThe still is master of the restlessThe Sage travels all dayyet never leaves his inner treasure ~Lao Tzu Dear Reader, If I had any doubts, my garden duty shift was complete; this week’s arrival of a thick blanket of snow made it clear. Unlike the earlier flurries, this has some staying power, and the single-digit night temps will ensure that is true. This glistening white covering may have closed the door to...