Homesteading By Heart
Homesteading was always a dream for me as I was growing up. Homesteading By Heart is the story I have to share about the building of my relationships as the steward of a beautiful little urban farm, and the community that has evolved as I have rooted myself more deeply in connection to the earth.
As a child, I gobbled up Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie series, My Side of the Mountain, and countless other books on living close to the land. I knew in my heart that I was called to a life that was woven intrinsically with the natural world.
As I was growing up, I was committed to doing things my own way. I saw the culture of consumerism and greed, and it didn’t feel like the world I wanted to share. This kept me on the outside of social groups, and created in me a deep longing to belong.
I have a few different strands I am working with for this blog (whoever thought I would be writing a blog!)
One part is a book I am writing about the evolution of my farm/ community and the urban homesteading dream I began developing when I moved to PineHeaven Farm in Oakland in 2004.
The other piece is sharing the poetry and art I have been creating in the “Covid Cocoon.”
I am especially loving the poems that come through during my Sunday morning Sacred Anatomy Chi Gung and Plant Sensing workshops, and my offering with this blog is to tie together the wisdom that comes from our plant allies with the lessons I’ve learned as I steward this piece of land and beautiful community.
This message came to me from the moss this past Sunday 8/16, the morning of the unseasonable Thunder and Lightning storm.
The Moss
Such alive, vibrant green
Look deeper and see prehistoric worlds within worlds
Spiraling down to microscopic fractals.
Dormant in the dry days
Coming into full aliveness when the waters of rain visit.
The cycles of deep resting
To vibrant blossoming
Come and go
With the nature of all
Impermanence.
Every small bit of aliveness
A gift
Touch me.
Be this soft with yourself.