What is "permaculture" anyways? At its simplest, permaculture is an eco-logical approach to design. It can be described as a way of thinking, making decisions and designing things based on observing nature. Permaculture has a set of ethics and design principles, which can be applied to physical things - like farms and landscapes - as well as to invisible things - like business models and our personal lives.
I think abundance is a way of thinking and a way of rethinking about our lives and the world. What would the world look like if people everywhere caught onto these kinds of ideas? I have learned from practicing Nonviolent Communication that it is very possible - and often so enriching - to approach our relationships and conflicts with an intention of meeting everyone's needs. Yes, we really can. If we let go of our specific ideas of the way we want things to happen, and we focus on what's ultimately most important for all parties, we can, with practice and patience, find a way that works.
Last weekend, we had the pleasure of going to a house-raising. Our friend, who designs and builds traditional timber-framed homes, had taken several months to design and pre-cut the entire frame for their new house. They invited all their friends to come for one day to help "raise" the frame. Imagine 25 people working in tandem lifting, pulling on ropes, pounding sledgehammers and levering prybars to move huge wooden posts and beams - a job for which they usually hire cranes! And to top it off, the frame itself is held together with not a single nail. It all fits together like a highly-elab
Last week we were invited to participate in a house raising party. Bonita will speak more about it in her post, so I won't be too long... Here are the pictures. It was an awesome community and friendship experience. Don't hesitate if you have the opportunity to participate in one!
Check out this photo album!
When I hear about "the bad economy", I find it easy to fall down the slippery slope of fear into scarcity mode. I would describe both scarcity and abundance as self-reinforcing loops - the more we sow, the more we reap, and the more we have new seeds to sow again more of the same. Gladly, I've been reminded recently that abundance can be found and cultivated, even in hard times.
As someone with a desire to enrich life, which is intertwined with my permaculture ethics to "care for people" and "care for the Earth", sometimes I ask myself "What can I do to make more of a difference?" With frustration sometimes, my inner critic, the "jackal voices" as we call them in Nonviolent Communication, tell me that I'm not doing enough. My need to contribute is not being fully met! However, after a day like today, I'm reminded that we really CAN have an impact.
Published in The Humm, Ottawa - April 2009
For Earth Day, consider doing something fun and practical that you can keep re-using for the rest of the year. Learn valuable skills for eco-living.
In Vermont Peak Oil Newsletter - January 2009
Last year, when my partner and I spent the winter in Vermont, we tried to buy only local foods that were IN SEASON. Perhaps you can imagine how challenging it was to find locally grown, organic food at a time of the year when there was snow on the ground. So, this year, instead of getting frustrated about organic veggies being shipped across the continent, we decided to stock up in the fall, like people used to do in the "good old days" :)
Today, I'd like to share some personal reflections on climate change and local food. I hope my story will bring us to a place where we feel motivated and inspired together; I invite you to have an open mind and heart as I begin with the part that I find the saddest.
Happy Earth Day to all of you! Hoping you find a moment sometime this week to pause, touch the Earth, breath deeply and smell a flower, or give thanks for a vegetable or fruit you are eating! In the interest of sharing inspiration and information, I'd like to pass on a few things to you.
