Monthly Archives: April 2012

Community, creativity, downsizing, inspiration, journey, joy, Log border, mulch, music, projects, sitting, Thoreau, values, writing

To make a deep mental path….

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“As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, 
so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. 
To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. 
To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over 
the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.”
~Thoreau

It’s 85 degrees outside and this taste of Summer is intoxicating. It’s what I needed to spur on the personal projects I have been thinking about. The garden is always there with its list of things that need to be done – at least for this first year or so, but after that, it won’t require as much structural work…so what will I spend my time on then? I cannot put aside life to become identified with the garden, I am gardening to become more in touch with this life. This is so much more for me than planting a garden. It is a process of discovering what I value, what my beliefs are, what inspires me, who is on this journey with me in a positive way, and who is not. It’s about investing my efforts where I work – to the end of being able to be at home more and enjoy this space that is being created in me and around me.

At any given moment – when inspiration hits – I have a few projects that I am working on. Guitar lessons, writing songs, making jewelry, downsizing and de-cluttering my home (and myself), continuing to develop the story I am writing, the garden plans, cooking and being creative with the wood cookstove, and this blog to document the trip.

I have some short term projects – putting together a 6 x 3 freestanding greenhouse to start seeds. Sawing up the remainder of sticks into kindling sized pieces to dry out – weeding out clothes, etc. to bring to consignment, etc. etc.

What has changed is my approach. I work on something, take a rest, move to something else, take a rest. Resting involves music, gaming, writing, sitting outside in the garden, spending time with family and friends. This pace allows me enough time to get to everything that *needs* to be done (clean clothes, dishes, and so on) and it allows enough time to get to the *wants* (spending time with people, different projects, etc.) but the resting also creates this space that has become miraculous for me. Space enough to just be and I find that when there is room in my day to sit and be still  – the ideas come fast and furious – such as outlining a complete story – designing a front garden – figuring a creative way to spend time with family and friends – or something as simple as an answer to “what are we going to do with that pile of logs near the fence?”.

The logs became something useful – a garden border to keep the dog out (at least until things grow in) and a place where we (and others) can sit and rest – as well as defining the area where we generally work on wood, chopping, kindling, mulching, etc.

Log pile near the fence and mulch pile in the driveway.
All that is left of the Catalpa and Mulberry that we took down…

The log border (seats) and mulched path 
Mulched path (cardboard and straw) and the beds of peas.
Bark paths between the beds and the herb spiral.
There is also this realization – this craving of community that exists inside of me, and of everyone, I would imagine. We are so disconnected in this world and lonely in large groups of people who are in constant contact with us through technology. I imagine that we all need each other in a greater way than we even realize. It brings me great joy to know that there are people who understand the happiness of putting your hands in the soil and waiting until that first green appears, or that moment when the perfect phrase in a song or story comes together or the moment when you see your child or family member succeed or overcome in life. The benefit of technology is that we have access to people we may not have ever met in the past and the whole world has the potential to become part of our personal community. We also have the opportunity in a greater way to share ideas and information…as long as we remember to share our personal stories and make connections that are real.  I am finding that my physical neighbors have so much to teach me – about life – about myself.  It seems there is always something to learn…today I am grateful for each of the people who have been part of my life, for however long,  and make it such a rich and amazing story…
I love the view from my window…it changes every day!