Take Shape

It's taking shape.

For years now I've felt the project of making our yard arable & our home more environmentally-sustainable to be Sisyphean.  There were so many steps before progress felt visibly measurable.  Somewhere, the scales have tipped.  Yvonne pointed out it may have been when the mighty trees were felled this summer.  I'm beginning to see our vision become real!

Already, logs from the felled trees are outlining future raised beds.  We have a new clothes line that can hold three loads of laundry!  Three!  (I tried to understand why Kevin & I create so much laundry.  A part from our physical & often messy jobs I clean almost exclusively with rags, and not throw-away materials.  It means more washing, which is OK.)  We've carved out spaces where fruit trees will be planted.  I'm watching the patterns of light to understand where crops will find their homes.

We're pulling down the previous owner's chain linked fence.  We've elected to forgo replacing the fencing for the foreseeable future.  We're bounding the property with corn, sunflowers, and cords of firewood further back at the edge of the property.  The other night we sat on a log watching a fire burning safely in an outdoor pit.  I looked happily at the cords of wood (which will only really take us through one winter.  Chopping wood is a life-long love affair).  Beyond the stacks I could see the trees emerging from the tract of wood across the dry creek bed from our property.  I felt like I had traveled somewhere fantastic.  I felt how I often do when I find myself in some magical corner of the world that is offering me new information on how to live.  I felt like the mundane had hidden vibrancy.  That we can live our lives like works of art, constantly creating, editing, retouching, learning.

So many of the fears I've gathered over these past few months are dissipating.  I've felt like I was in a strange race with money-- we want to lower our living expenses so our income needs are lower.  However, to set up the internal infrastructure that supports us, allows us to pay for all expenses in cash, & feel secure even in an untenable economy has caused me serious anxiety.  But it's happening.  Our expenses are lower.  Over the past few months many of our appliances have given up & we haven't had to replace them.  We're still not where we want to be, but we're fine.

It's all taking shape.