A little behind the scenes fiddlin'

I'm re-organizing the gadgets on the sidebar tonight, so for a while some of my old favorites and sites that have been in a lovely long slide are being assembled a little differently. They'll all be back in a while and be even easier to find ... I'll be hoping that be true for you dear readers and followers.

While out walking I met ... those who spray

It has been a busier than usual day on the road that runs around the Lake and the Pond near the Ledge in the Woods. VardoForTwo is encamped a few yards from the road that is normally quiet and minimally traversed. Today after a nice tea of cinnamon and peppermint and two toasty slices of Mack's Flax I set off with my pink baseball cap to walk around the Pond. Within minutes the neighbor and his daughter jogged and bicycled past me. Soon after their dog "Babe" a giant of a hound woofed after them, gallumping past me again. Before reaching the bend and climb of the slope on the ridge side of the Pond, daughter on the bike whizzes back, neighbor with "Babe" collared and panting take the road back to the home. Wow, that has already more activity than I'd seen for months. On the flat side of the Pond road I spotted a young couple with two young sheep dogs on leases. The young capped man was talking on his cellphone. That in itself was cause for conversation .... "Your cellphone works here?" "Yeh ...yak, yak, yak...." It turns out his brand of cell makes the connection where all others will not. They were a pleasant couple, and then I read the logo on his green shirt. "You work for H----?" "Yes, that's us we live up there." The young man and his family own the tree farm just a mile or so from the Ledge.

Before the story continues I will tell you this: the Gods give me many opportunities to be of service to the bigger good. Life with multiple chemical sensitivities is one large test tube experiment. As our visitors and readers of VardoForTwo and Sam and Sally have gathered our life has been a journey of discovery, DIASPORA, and education. For 15 years we tried to outrun what we thought was simply an isolated incident with an ill-informed decision or a decision to just keep using/doing something because 'they've always done it.' : planting and maintaing plants that cause me havoc, using herbicides for convenience that disrupt my endocrine and immune system, spraying perfumes on the body, smoking, burning .... and the list has gone on and on. Two years ago when Pete and I arrived in Washington again we committed to building the wee wheelie home we call VardoForTwo. We began blogging to share the experience and make some sense of our lives.

In the process of building and being back in Washington a new phase of our journey took a positive turn. We began to have encounters with people who were WILLING TO BE EDUCATED.

1. We explained my severe sensitivity condition to neighbors in our White Center Wa. neighborhood and met with understanding and cooperation. They signed the Pesticide Registry application and one of them said, "Now you're safe here." Wow!
   
2. One of our neighbors in White Center was burning trash in her fireplace when we arrived last winter. It was making me sick. I filed a burning complete with the Clean Air Department in Seattle and that neighbor thanked me for 'reporting him.' He stopped burning all together, bought electric floor heaters to get through the winter and switched to natural gas. Throughout the nearly one year settle there in White Center Tony began watching from his backyard and then came to visit Pete often as VardoForTwo. When we pulled out in early April, it was his commendation of our efforts and perseverance that made such a difference to us. This was a special man come into our lives to blow on that amber of hope so dim in our hopper.
   
3. We now live with two old friends who began making the changes in their living and cleaning habits so we could share their space, their land and their lives. The commitment is not easy, and yet they continue to make adjustments and together we learn how to live respectfully and gentler on the Whole.
4. Our neighbor across the road has begun to learn how chemicals have and are affecting her health because our our "Anna and Joshua" friends who share their land with us. Anna got an update yesterday on the choices being made across the street. Seems there's one more positive change going on their today...through examples the process become the solution.
   

Perhaps it happens because in our life of having to escape and flee the affects of another's choices we came to the place in the road when we simply had to STOP, PAUSE and become part of the solution. When living in Hawaii, our attempts to make a difference by calling attention to the fact that we were being poisoned by pesticides were met with empty apologies and ineffectual governmental rationalization. There was nothing more we could do at the time ... we left O`ahu two years ago last May. Though there are still huge gaps in the practices and governmental monitoring and control of herbicide use in Washington state (and the nation) we have had positive experiences with face to face education. So if you're still here let me get on with the story of what happend while out walking ...

The question and answer about who these young folks were switched on my awareness: these are the folks who might be spraying herbicide on their trees. I was aware of the tree farm ... I informed them of my chemical sensitivities. They were not aware of The State of Washington Department of Agriculture's Pesticide Registry. They seemed open to learning. I took the lead and asked, "Did you use herbicides?" "Yes, about a month and a half ago." Somewhere within me I stilled the urge to flee or panic. The spraying had already happened. I knew it was possible, probable and now the fact was confirmed. We stood in the middle of the road and continued with this conversation. Unconsciously we stepped apart a bit. I prayed a silence prayer for protection and kept sharing information. The young man is seriously allergic to weeds ... that's why they spray. Oh no! I found enough calm to offer him a solution or at least a potential solution. I offered him the concept of NAET, the allergy elimination technique that has served my well-being in recent years. They were interested. I offered them the information of this blog and the links that may serve him and the bigger good ... Earth's good.

It was too late for them to know that we, seriously sensitive to chemical folks are living in that caravan around the bend: they had already sprayed around the small trees on their farm. There is that risk almost everywhere we live. Could I have prevented that by acting with more due diligence? I could have, didn't and now I was given the opportunity to meet 'those who spray.' Perhaps more than anything I would like to be the NOMADnomad that is not just mad at the world of choices that creates health hell for me and my darlin' Pete. Now that we have built a small world that spokes from VardoForTwo, the possibilities for education grow. We are living examples of what is necessary to live a life of few conveniences, and learn instead to live a life of consciousness. As much as this post is for educating and sharing what it's really like to be Gypsies of a Canary Lineage ... this post is a nod to the young people I met while walking.

I hope the meeting makes a positive difference in your today and tomorrow. We all live with the affects of your choice to spray herbicides and there are other ways to make tomorrow different. (click on the link to go to Beyond Pesticides) I will go into VardoForTwo do a treatment to boost my immune system, clear the energy that is contrary to my well-being and give thanks to the Gods for a chance meeting of those who spray.

Mahalo! Mokihana

Settling and Post #200

The quiet of morning is long here. The sun rises through the long-legged firs near The Big House at 5:30 in the a.m. From the inside of the Vardo the promise of a sunny morning shows itself in the very tips of the trees across the glen. A small pocket of golden watercolors the green of the Pond. Pete and I watch, still too comfortable under the covers to open the door. Slow ... that's what happens here on the Ledge. The rush to be heard settles, waits. In such huge country the increments of time are truly minute. I feel the moments and then watch my cat go from dust ball covered with fir droppings to stalker of the ground feeder birds. She offers the other extreme and that stirs us. Slow to lightning quick without transition.

Life from VardoforTwo is making the difference. Writing from my front porch steps the shadow of the Vardo gives me shade in the deepening sunshine. Summer is here, summer is hear. The cicada, the wind, the wind chime, a quiver of Fireweed not yet in bloom, and the birdsong, and beesongs, the tap of the keys on my laptop. The quiet of the Ledge is such accepting background to it all. Even the whirling thoughts in my mind rest and space is cleared for whatever shall unfold.

For the time being we are settling in to the life here on the Ledge. It comforts me after I shift from worry to the quiet of one Ledge moment. The old blue Coleman cooler stores our food with blocks of ice we buy in town. The single burner Toastmaster hotplate serves us sufficiently as tea kettle incitor and omelet maker. The thrift store toaster oven continues to toast and bake the foods we choose to eat ... barley bread studded with raisins, a turkey meat loaf stuffed with organic veggies, flax and sprouted wheat toast. The outhouse walls are up and serve us even while we wait to get our version of a luggable lu fabricated.

It's July 2nd, and in a day or two the fireworks our neighbors buy to celebrate America's birthday will pollute the air, ground,water and all the beings with poisons and noise. We prepare for a car trip (VardoForTwo will wait for another day) the old tent and newer air mattress airing in the hot sun just in case a camp spot is sweet and safe enough for a 4th of July. Anything is possible on those road trips ... we know the range of possibilities. At the moment peace prevails. No urgency worth expending energy. Settlers we are, my cat and me. The Ledge is making a difference.

Another thing that is making a difference is my recent discovery of the cd Sui created by Derval Dunford, a beautifully voiced woman of Ireland. I listened to a clip from that gem of a meditation tape just before posting, and look at what happened ... gentle morning makings. Thanks Liberty for linking me to the clip and also steering me to Planet Thrive's interview with Derval Dunford. The miracles are everywhere and to be where the miracles are ... that's an event worth celebratin'!

"BERNADETTE"

Pete kick'n tires and checking out the '66 Dodge flat bed with Steve the mechanic who was selling it.

Pete pretty much sold on the look of her, envisioning the possibilities

I have christened her "BERNADETTE"our workhorse, VardoForTwo mobilizer. Named after a very special guardian angel in my life our 1 ton '66 Dodge 300 flatbed truck is now parked next to Scout the Subaru. She is on the Ledge. I could not wait to post these photos, slipping in the good news before the 'ole moon starts tomorrow. She's a lot of truck with greater gas mileage than the new trucks, with a lot of towing power for VFT. There's work to be done to her ... isn't there always something. This is a simple engine truck that has parts Pete and I recognize from 'back in the day" ... this truck was born just a year after I graduated from high school. That says something about the steel-hull of a truck still working after all these years.

So, we celebrate a positive move in the right direction and welcome BERNADETTE!

Have a great weekend.

Walking Backward, Looking Forward ... 'ole days coming up, WorkHorse coming soon

Tomorrow the newest 'ole days on the Hawaiian Moon Calendar begin ... it's a four day and night 'ole cycle prior to the full moon. We use the 'ole cycles as times to fix, repair, restore, review and reconsider our decisions, thoughts, beliefs and relationships with All. Rather than start new projects, plant new crops or make new decisions these 'ole days are a weeding and fixing your nets-time. VardoForTwo continues to teach us what it takes to live simply. The wee space gives us a restoring oasis, and soon a new oak bench and door trim will be ready for milk-painting, then airing in the great Ledge mountain air before we move them inside. Everything takes a little or a lot more time to be complete. If at any point I thought 'immediate gratification' was a lesson to unlearn or learn differently, I'm learning the differently part often.

Summer is just starting out and yet with our lifestyle an eye toward the future, even while we walk backward is the sort of old dear-wisdom that we must employ to build resiliency ... and be prepared. It is very likely we Vardo folk will need a different encampment during the winter, so while we live one day at a time the future asks as to be keenly aware of needs. Living with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities brings you do to Earth with the basic needs rising to the top of the 'list of priorities.' To be mobile, VardoForTwo will need to have 'horsepower.' We rented a truck to get us to the Ledge and yet when we look for another rental truck in this area the choices are few and the distance to any available truck great. So, we have found a great old 'work horse' to make us mobile. Soon the next step in making us portable will be in our lives and on the Ledge. Come visit after the 'ole days and Gods willing we'll have pictures of our WORKHORSE.

Here's a fun find from Beijing I bumped into this morning while surfing. I felt the need to 'walk backward' and this is what I found. Take care and have some laughter and gentle times. We'll be back on Wednesday, check out our newest links to 'Sourcery' on the sidebar. Come back and visit. A hui hou!

Walking Backward - China’s ancient Mountain and Sea scripture records the exploits of an itinerant immortal who could walk backward faster than the eye could see. Walking backward has been popular ever since. The movement exercises muscles that are not used in ordinary walking, especially in the back, waist, thighs, knees and lower legs. Some people believe walking backwards is akin to a karmic reverse, allowing you to correct mistakes and sins of the past. A version of the walking backward exercise is the walking-backward-while-rolling-magnetic-balls-around-your-hands movement. The magnetic balls electro-magnetically massage acupuncture points in the palms and give aging wrists good exercise.

Today I'm using the o'o

Facing West ... Makua O`o

I've gone to Makua O`o to share a blog post. Come visit if you'd like.

BEING where we are

I am blogging from The Big House, perched on a tall stool in our friends' home the day is unfolding. I hear the washing machine downstairs and the ice maker roars on from the freezer. These good friends share their lives, their land and their home with us and we try to be where are and do what can be done. Anna is spending a few days in the hospital, getting the attention she sorely needed to root out a problem that just would not go away. Josh and Jane E. are on their way to visit her with a load of fresh clothes and I have promised to restrain from eating all the luscious berries turning to ruby globes. The gardens in front of their home are filled with ripening strawberries the taste of which can only come from a well-loved home garden. We've been waiting for them beauties since we pulled up in April.

The lifestyle of VARDOFORTWO is the sort that has no long-term scheme. We have three months into the learning process, adjusting to the effects of the environment, practicing building an intentional community and still have more to finish on the inside of our wee wheelie home. "We're starting to have a routine, aren't we?" Pete said as he turned the light out in the Vardo last night. "Hmmm...I guess so." We measure time by Josh's car engine starting up: if we hear it it's near 8:30 in the morning. When he comes home at night it could be anywhere between ... We don't chop wood for heat, but we carry a lot of water. Everything we do that needs water --washing up the dishes, filling a kettle for tea, general washing up of the hands, fingers and face means we walk to the Big House faucet and fill our glass jugs, walk back and empty the water we need.

Pete is in town alone, driving to places I don't go into and thanks to the shared resources arrangement we have going on with Josh and Anna Pete uses Josh's truck so I have Scout if I need to get off the Ledge for any reason, or for a whim. It's a luxury and a blessing, something we can't and don't take for granted. In return Pete fixes things ... installs a railing for Anna's safety up and down the front steps, finds out what the electrical outlets don't work on the porch, clears the walkway down to the basement. I water the gardens, pick the juicy berries and prep the bounty for freezing so Anna will have her berries in a fresh blended smoothie.

We're adjusting to a new form of living that includes sleeping and resting in VARDOFORTWO. The time outside that wee wheelie home spreads differently than some lives would spread. Anna is in her hospital bed getting an arm massage and I've just seen Josh's truck pull into the drive way. Our lives include routine and that levels out some of the steepness to the climb. For the moment there is a hum that is easy. That's something.