"If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny."           Thomas Jefferson

Summer Joys

Spent a few days helping out our daughter, she is moving up North (1 1/2 drive).  We brought the mower down to do the lawn.  We dug up her garden, I hope it survives but what else do you do - leave it? I enjoyed the garden and eating the peas just coming on.  Hubby helped her finish packing up the sewing room and taking stuff of the walls.  Her guy is in Kabul, Afghanistan and I pray that the hand of God is over him.

We spent the most amazing afternoon out in the backyard with a picnic, books and the laughter of happy little girls, catching frogs and dragonflies.  It felt like a quiet meadow with no traffic of neighbor noises, just the sound of woodpeckers and a nice breeze to cool the heat in the shade.  There is nothing better!

SUN!

Wow, 2 days in a row!  It cleared a again yesterday into a cloudless, slight breeze, beautiful day.  Today looks to be beautiful again, I am in shock . . . . .  just had to share.

Crazy weather patterns!

I looked up the weather for the June averages:

• ONE sunny day
• ONE degree below average overnight
• TWO degrees below average daytime
• precipitation - same

Now may people around here might say "typical" BUT I have lived here all my life and 2 years in a row is NOT typical.  We had drizzles to downpours (this many downpours is NOT typical).  We usually have a better ratio of sunny days to cloudy AND we don't usually have rain every day in June.  Yes, it is considers a damp month BUT NOT EVERYDAY!  The benefits are a beautiful green start to summer but grass is growing at a faster rate and it's always green this time of year anyway.  The really bad part is when you put out tomatoes, they don't like the rain.  The almost good part is the extended spring, lettuces and peas are not winding down yet.  The wierd thing is I have had to start 4 fires in the stove to ward off the damp (the house feels cold when damp).  In the 6 years living here I have NEVER had a fire in June but after 3 - 4 days of damp and rain you can feel it and the house was actually cold.

As I write; the sun is dancing across my living room, bright, soft, the leaves enhancing  it's mood.  I look west and ugh! the clouds are building and black! more rain? Oh wait 5 minutes (or an hour) there is the sun again!

Dump run again (we don't have pick up) this time household and some clean up, also a couple of sacks for the good will.

Milkwood: Joel Salatin on debt free farming.

Some valid points that if we follow may lead to a more balanced life style.
                                                                                                                                                            Right now I am surrounded by 'stuff' yet contentment is out of reach.  Granted, this 'stuff' we have  is mostly hand me down.  We have never had the income to spend freely.  I don't mind used things, but everyone around us thinks that we are a dump site.  That we don't have enough 'stuff' to show outwardly how good life is.  Well, I am going to garage sale a lot of it; then the excess will go the goodwill!  Good grief, I have 6 sewing machines, 3 are antiques of which I think the one treadle might work if a band can be found to run the wheel.  I love antiques though and have had to sell the few we have owned.  I need to get rid of them . . . . . .  dang!  So basically, we are not in debt (especially because of buying 'stuff' - not!) we just don't have the income to support the venture onto land.  Making do once we could get there would be easy for me because I already re-use or go without.  People around me think we are odd because consumerism isn't a constant need!

Circumstances can change, instead of feeling bad I am going to move forward and purge 'stuff' to create a simpler home for better harmony and a smaller home!  Following thru will be my challenge,  this is not my strongest trait.  My life as an adult has been practicing voluntary simplicity except in the accumulation of 'stuff', I am feeling weighed down and jump for joy at every dump run and charitable drop off!

Milkwood: Choosing Farmland? Joel Salatin and Nick Ritar

Powerful quote from a sci-fi novelist

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog,

conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone,

comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations,

analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal,

fight efficiently and die gallantly.

Specialization is for insects."

-- Robert A. Heinlein