So, we got a email letter yesterday sent to our website (I’ll share it below because why not…it’s interesting to see people’s words and thinking, but without their name because public shaming people who do not know any better is not our thing) which solidified how we’ve been feeling in this area lately. We know better because so many lovely folks show up but with the state of the world as it is, it is easy to get sucked into the vortex of negativity and overwhelm. But a funny thing happened…when we shared this letter online, we were instantly supported by hundreds of friends and our community. It reminded us we’re not alone in a sea of struggle and insanity.

And I (particularly I, not we) reactively wanted to write a letter defending us, correcting them, and pointing out their lack of clear thinking but I sat on it, and crafted a letter really getting to the heart of the matter (as I see it) which is about care. Some folks are concerned about the divisiveness in our society but their division is only between binary systems (gender, political parties, race, etc) and not within a relation of care. If you really care about people, then you will want to help them be safe and secure disregarding the various ways we go about living. This is ecological because care takes care of everyone. I want to be clear — not everyone is welcome in our space or life, only those who care for others, who care for the very existence of everyone. If your logic dictates that this means we do not care for everyone, you have missed the point. We care. That’s it. This does not mean that we let abusive people act as they see fit. In fact, it means we act against it — with care as our force. Think of it as similar to the Golden Rule but without the trappings and rhetoric of damaging ideology (and idolatry). Our practices (which are not ideologies because they are not restrictive systems with a teleological moral imperative but adaptive practices in living amongst other living beings) do not harm anyone, unlike uncaring points of view. Perhaps this is part of the letter I wanted to write.

Instead, this is the letter I did write:

I want to apologize that you do not feel welcome in our store. It is key that we create a safe and welcoming space for growing a community who believe that diversity is positive. I wish you were in a place in your life open to caring for this diversity.

If we were to have a conversation, you would find that politics is very much not our thing — we aren’t particularly impressed by the lack of responsible representation in our political system and do not feel that caring for people is a political act, but a sensible one. We do not collectivize anything but offer ways to critically think and question limited care thinking. We foster a place where people can feel free and safe to be the kind of people who support each other. As women, we have already had a history of suppression and oppression, I can’t imagine doing that to others.

However, if you are not ready for this kind of place or thinking, I wish you well. If you meant to shame me or make me feel bad, you have accomplished your goal. No one likes to be told that they are not worthy of respect or care. If you want to reduce or hurt our business, I suppose by losing you as a customer we have — but I did share your letter (without your name) and have had overwhelming support and care from our community which makes us feel so welcome and reinvigorated to help those in need. At the end of the day, we are not here for customer service but for community relations. This community lives alongside you, so perhaps you do not know your neighbors as well as you could. I hope that you find the time and energy to do so — compassionately, and with great care.

All the best.

So, that’s what has been happening in our world. We thought our struggles this week were going to be getting to the jungle we call a garden and homestead but it seems to be a bigger question of community, home, and care. The outpouring of love we got online and in-store makes us sigh with relief. We’re not alone — we are in good relations.

Thank you.

It’s been a week for sure. Just when we think we are getting caught up, another wave rolls us over. I haven’t foraged yet this year, and as of today haven’t seen the garden in a week — who knows what’s going on out there?!! If we’re lucky, all the plants are working it out, making do, and growing appropriately but I peeked a few days ago and it looked like the deer had eaten the climbing dry bean vines. I’m scared to go out there. I might just lie down on the weeds and cry.

There’s a shift; I’m not knowledgeable in cosmic ways to know what it is or how to navigate it. We’re trying to be gentle in the worldspace but we’re feeling a little chewed up right now. We can tell that we’re likely to cycle from the surreal to despair very easily and are trying to keep our footing. And we hear that it’s like that for a lot of folks right now. I’d like to say we have a couple of days to hunker down and regroup, but it seems unlikely. We’ll just have to rely on grounding moments and hope it’s enough. Though there is a part of me wanting to cancel everything and take a mental health week (but unfortunately, that’s the thing that has been cancelled, ‘maybe we can go camping next year’, which is what we said last year…).

Someone recently read a brilliant poem at one of the Open No-mic nights about how they are not asking the universe for much…just to catch our breath, just for a little break…yeah. We’re feeling that.

We have this lovely cloud ‘field guide’ I’m in love with right now. And the clouds have been very fantastic. I think I’ll focus on that for awhile.

It’s been a whirlwind of a weekend, family and friend visitations, a big birthday (whoo hoo!), and a town event (not as big as one would have hoped, but still sizeable). Many hats in many rings (many rings on one hat?). We have survived and are now on our ‘weekend’ which also happens to be a nationalist holi-day (can you tell we have little interest in celebrating it?!). Technically (apparently and parenthetically) it is still someone’s birthday week…so we will be continuing some celebrations in that realm.

The Great Race was good enough. We thought the cars and the concept were neat but there was little energy generated to really make it a cool event. I think we are still post-pandemic or something because folks don’t seem to want to work together or communicate, it is all very satellite and self-serving. We think there was a missed opportunity here by all of the organizers to really create something fun and spectacular for both the Great Race and the town (I’d say maybe next time, but this was the 2nd time). Our faith in this kind of momentum for this little downtown might be faltering. And maybe it’s like this all over (some say, but then others say) but it doesn’t have to be. Some places are figuring out that if they work together to help each other’s needs, everyone gets lifted up. We would like to be in that kind of space-place.

But for now, we will keep working toward creating that space-place. We are finding our people and making great connections, we just wish it was with the downtown, too. The more, the merrier. Our community is the one that shows up, and we are so very grateful for those folks and businesses that do.

It’s a lot like the homestead — when we came here, there were things growing we didn’t expect (and were delighted by) and there were many things we brought to make this the homestead we wanted it to be. Some things thrive and some didn’t survive but we’re grateful every day for the surprises and gifts that keep showing up. As long as we keep putting in the work, we know we are learning and that is the barometer of our success.