I will be moving to the community land I call Wellspring on April 1, 2020. This has been a long time coming, because I confess that I have been addicted to such things as electricity, the internet, temperature controlled environment, and a beautiful view of the lake.

I will write more about this move in another post. For now, I want to just share my day.

It takes me about 55 minutes to walk the up and down hill (mostly up–going there) from the house I am staying at right now. I did my vocal exercises as I walked, and sang some songs, like “The Lord’s Prayer” really really high. I am loving singing very high notes. This experiences I think is cleansing to my body, mind, and soul. Maybe the environment, too?

I took a short cut through the forest. I don’t think I will again because it was uphill and I don’t want to cause any erosion. But I felt drawn to get some forest therapy, and felt such bliss when I saw the lovely little wild flowers, ferns, and other green beauties emerging from the fertile forest ground.

I needed to have a good cry somewhere during that walk. Isn’t it strange? I can’t remember exactly where that was. But I am crying daily. There is so much pain. I hear the cows mooing, and I feel so sad. They will be killed for food one day. Their rather blissful life of grazing in the pasture (at least they seem pretty happy) will come to a grinding, painful, shocking end. I prayed for them.

I prayed for the people being stuck at home with the corona virus, and prayed that people would wake up and treat our beautiful earth, each other, and animals–with extreme love and respect.

Arriving at the land, I carried down some planting pots from the top of the driveway. I have collected a lot of pots over the years, for I dream of starting a nursery of comfrey and wild edibles and medicinal herbs. I absolutely love comfrey and it has so many AMAZING healing qualities and is good for making compost tea.

I went to the Miracle Home–that is the new name for the common house for the community. I got some tools, and worked on the garden. It was so rewarding to make a potato patch. I warned the black berry plants that were growing in the area-that I was going to be cutting them back. I sensed they said it was fine. They will easily grow back. Maybe the potato patch will become a blackberry patch.

As I do the gardening work–I enjoy the feeling of the sun warming my body. I just love the physical work. I feel so grateful for a strong back, because I am carrying buckets of leaves mixed with dirt that are very heavy. I have to bend a lot, picking up rocks, planks, rotted stumps, and small logs to line the bed. I appreciate that as I do the work, I am cleaning up the land. There is quite a bit of clutter. (Why that is–is another story for the telling.)

I was delighted to discover a pile of compost that we bought from Fayetteville a few years ago. Some greens had grown on top of it, and I had forgotten all about it. I dug some up to put on top of the leaves which I used as part of the planting mixture. I will plant some seeds there after transplanting the greens elsewhere.

I don’t like to kill plants, and my goal is to never have to do that again. I found a really lovely place to plant the greens. I hope they thrive.

I did a no-dig method–where I placed the potatoes on top of the earth, and covered them with leaves, weeds and compost. I rarely dig to garden. I really dislike hurting earthworms and frogs. I still do use the mattock on occasion. And the shovel and fork. But my goal is to never need to do so. Not only can the lovely earthworms and frogs, whom I treasure, get hurt–but so do the microorganisms. There are lots of permaculture techniques that make it possible not to dig.

I worked rather slowly. I haven’t been very physical since the corona virus pandemic hit. I was in a cocoon like state for about 2 or 3 weeks. My former husband, Robert, was giving me early warnings of what to come, and I think my soul new I needed to hibernate and go within. I still got daily exercise, but nothing like what I am starting to do. Working in the garden can be strenuous. But my strength is returning.

I ate grapefruit, oranges, and a smoothie while I worked for about 6 hours. I  am praying that I can live on prana–so that all the food I grow can go to help people who need to eat. I love growing things! I am a fantastic gardener in many ways. I am thrilled when I see plants thrive, and I am wanting to connect with nature spirits. I have done so in a limited way in the past, but it is time to get serious with getting help from the nature spirits.

Working with the earth, and on the Wellspring Land, brings me so much joy and hope. My family lived here for about 10 years, and we shared so many beautiful–as well as tragic memories. The land has been uninhabited for about 9 years, and I feel her joy and welcoming. She knows I come to nurture. She knows I am wanting to help heal not only this 19 acres, but also to use this as a way to show people how to live in a way that completely and utterly nurtures ALL of life.

Trees

insects

earth

animals

plants

microbes

soil

people

birds

amphibians

water

all of life

I could write a book–about all the thoughts I had as I worked. I felt so connected to Jesus, to God. There are reminders of the sad parts of my family’s life here. Like the house we lived in for 3 years that was well built–except for the fact that we did not prioritize putting a metal roof on it. The tarp roof worked. Now the house is falling a part. Yet I look at it with joy. I see children playing. A learning center for all ages.  Yes, the people will come. They will see it as a lovely resource.

There is SO much to do. Yet I feel peace. Each little gesture to show this land I love her, is making a difference. I am a hard worker, and I love to work! I also believe that there are people out there who share my values, and who want to learn to love each other and all of life–and have the capacity to do that.

I feel so happy. I am not needing people to be here to be content. I have always felt so sad. “Why can’t I have community,” has been my lament.

I realize now. I needed to learn so much in order to be a leader–a facilitator–of community building. I have so much more to learn. Of course if the right people came right now–I don’t have to be perfect. At the same time, everyday I learn more about how to live in love.

I am doing my best to be a person who people want to be around 🙂

Thanks for reading this. I enjoyed writing this. I hope you will comment.