Want to read this email on the web? Click here. The work you do here might seem to be nothing more than chores, but in fact, over time, you are cultivating a space fit to receive great things. ~Hilary Barrett Dear Reader, Today, the sun completes its transit through Gate 37, the Gate of Friendship, the I Ching hexagram of The Family, or People in the Home. Questions may have arisen for you regarding home boundaries, your inner relationship with home, or what growth your home environment...
12 days ago • 3 min read
Want to read this email on the web? Click here. Dear Reader, It is certainly apropos that as I write of this seasonal transition, our latest snowstorm would arrive. The wind was so strong moments ago, swirling the flakes in every which direction, that I was certain it was rising from the earth rather than falling from the sky. Given the other abnormalities we are witnessing, perhaps it was. Asit settled into a rapid yet steady downfall., I got down to work with thewood stove glowsing and my...
19 days ago • 2 min read
Want to read this email on the web? Click here. The problem isn’t the idea of self-sufficiency. It’s the way we’ve been defining it. ~Huw Richards Dear Reader, Huw Richards is a British thought leader who shares a healthy dose of food-growing philosophy on Substack. He has been relatively quiet the past few months, so when a new post hit my inbox, I was keen to read it. In it, Richards builds a case for a modern model of self-sufficiency worth sharing far and wide. His thoughts align closely...
26 days ago • 3 min read
Want to read this email on the web? Click here. I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things. Mother Teresa Dear Reader, Did you feel that ever-so-subtle shift this week? It was just a nudge, but enough to stir a part of myself that has been sleeping. It arrived on Tuesday, the 3rd of February, winter’s midpoint. The seasonal shift is underway, and while not over yet, all that holds deep dormancy in place is loosening its grip. Every tree is acutely...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
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...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
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...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
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...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
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...
2 months ago • 4 min read
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...
2 months ago • 3 min read