I bought two blueberry bushes yesterday at the farmer's market, to plant in my front yard. I have a pretty standard urban lot, about 40' by 100' I think. The back yard is pretty much entirely shaded, the front yard must be about 40' by 20'. It's pretty small. Once I get the blueberries in, they will join 3 small raised beds for veggies (well, one is mostly strawberries - or will be someday, I hope), raspberries, a cherry tree (currently 5' tall, but full of little green berries), and rhubarb. My sweetie has fond memories of elderberries from childhood (I don't think I've ever had them) so we have to find a place for a bush (and apparently they're pretty big)
Last weekend I built myself a rainbarrel, with lots of help from a community programm (basically they bring you all the stuff and show you how to do it for $25 - quite a deal!) Though I still need to set it up (attach it to a downpipe, so it will take up the rain that falls on 1/4 of my roof - and I can water things with it later.)
I still dream of creating some sort of earthy faith community. That is not just about faith as removed from life, but faith in life, life in faith.
And what does that mean??? Do I have a clue yet??? Not much of one, admittedly. To me planting blueberries is an act of faith. Not just because it makes me feel earthy, not like faith that I will get to eat blueberries one day, not becaue it seems practical, or whimsical, but because it seems rightly led (maybe) - an integration, incremental though it may be, of life and food and nurturing (nurturing a plant, being nurtured by its food).. The fact that this ground the ground that I "own", live on, walk over every day, can grow food. I don't have to buy it from Dole. I yearn for the larger economy, the larger infrastructure, of my life, to be integrated (not to mention my own heart)
what about the faith that my own spiritual ground, my life, my street, my heart, can bear fruit?? To me they are the same, fully integrated, more than I can understand, but maybe just not more than I can meet with my whole heart.
love
Pam
2 comments:
Oh Elderberries! They are a natural antibiotic... but better for thee! I have been longing for elderberry surip, elderberry tea... all those things one can't get in the US, but are common in England and Ireland!!!!
Planned faith communities... oh yes, I had a similer dream once.
All the best
lor
So, what happened to your dream??
Zach's dad has an interesting comment on Zach's blog about the small community that they attempted, but which failed. About how none of them were really ready to give up their selfishness and fear and open their hearts completely. I think it would have to be a very strong, and constantly renewed faith. Perhaps I am simply not jaded enough to give up?? (I think of myself as pretty jaded) sigh....
I'm pretty much out of sunny spots, though. The catalog says I can get elderberries that will do okay in part shade, but they're red, and I think of them as blue/black.
I want gooseberries too (of which there is supposed to be a shade tolerant variety) I think perhaps I need a bigger lot (maybe just axe the garage) - we looked it up online, it's 40' x 127' hmmmm
peace
Pam
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