New events on the horizon at the shop — astrology full moon forecasting, poetry workshops, open-no-mic poetry nights, and more in store. We’re planning another Lit Walk, nature talks, ‘zine building, garden planning…good things in store. Because there is so much going here now!! They say the sturgeon will be back, The Great Race at the end of June, and to start it off, the solar eclipse — we’re not in ‘the path of totality’ but there will still much excitement and new folks in Maine.
For us, the Ides of March is coming which is a special day we celebrate (like a love anniversary) and the Vernal Equinox, Maple Syrup boiling (and Maple Weekend, end of March, we’re hoping to have an open get together, keep your eyes peeled in the newsletter), and in April the lovely child and I will go down to NYC for my graduation (she is over the moon, train ride, fancy hotel, maybe a show, dinner at the Lafayette Grand Cafe, a walk on the High Line). I wish I had more time to see good friends down there — I had originally planned to take a couple of extra days and go down to the shore (NJ) but that dream has been canceled like so many already this year. We make many plans so that at least one or two stick (don’t mess with the family camping this year!! I’ll walk if I have to…right to that island).
We’ve been getting ourselves together, deep-cleaning lost forgotten corners of the house, playing board games, getting our nails done, listening to kooky little records, making lovely stews (Majorcan Stew, a big favorite of ours, this time with chickpeas and our Semolina Baguette), and experiencing weather shifts (snow one day, freezing temps, then like today — 52 degrees!) and the lovely Snow Moon, last moon of Winter. Time to shake off hibernation by the Worm Moon and get to the stuff that matters; taking care of folks. We’re in the last stages of planning so we can get to work making connections and lending a hand — it’s true that Gaza is under attack and people’s safety is paramount, but there are people here, too, homeless or without access to healthy food and clean water, women, children, and elderly in abusive homes, the stupidity of gun violence — right here in Maine! We’re all about the multiple-level and multi-faceted approach, to helping as many people as possible while creating safety. We’re also supportive of making informed and intentional decisions about the complex systemic capitalism that works against much of the good work being done. For us, we focus on the ripple effect of taking care of what we can directly (instead of in a system or through a system). Others make headway through their own avenues. This is to say that anyone caring for others — truly taking the time to care and find solutions, make changes, and educate themselves, is building community in new ways.
All things considered (J’s favorite reply), we are well enough. It averages out, right? Now that my program is done, we all have a little more time and space to work on other projects (new homestead shaping, gardens and event plans, the little cookbook we’re developing, J’s books, my art practice, D’s new consideration of school — we’re off to an open house tomorrow to see if it’s a good match). I was reading that soil raises serotonin levels the other day which encourages me to start my seedlings this week!!! J & D will tap trees tomorrow and Thursday. We’re getting very low on wood so hopefully J will find some to steal from the sugar shack, hopefully enough to get us through April but it will be close this year.
Stay cozy.
Rock Bottom Homestead 