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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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In service of my heart

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...

Want to read this email on the web? Click here. Each end is always a beginning, because nothing ever ends totally, nothing can ever end. Everything continues, only forms change. ~Osho Dear Reader, Today marks the third anniversary of our arrival in Keene, a period in time that challenged me to grow in the most unexpected ways. Arriving at dusk on the 29th of November, with an ice storm brewing, we carried our bags into a cold, empty, kitchenless house. Quite unaware that I had stepped into a...

Want to read this email on the web? Click here. Given all you have, who will you be? ~Hiliary Barret Dear Reader, I wonder just how often it is that we linger on the edge of our full potential. Unaware of all that is within reach, we stall, spin in place or in some cases follow a path that was never ours to take. The Sun has been transiting through Gate 14 that offers up glimpses of our potential. The question to contemplate is the quote above, given all you have who will you be? Perhaps at...

Want to read this email on the web? Click here. It will be a little messy, but embrace the mess. It will be complicated, but rejoice in the complications. ~Nora Ephron Dear Reader, The window for remaining garden tasks is quickly closing. Throughout the week, I've only managed to snatch a bit of time here and there when the sun broke through the overcast skies and temperatures hovered above freezing. In those short stretches, I found a way to slip in a few more bulbs, plant a peony root, or...