Update: To read this post with an amendment that covers 2012 - 2015,
CLICK HERE
Many
people have expressed curiosity about Chris' and my living situation.
How do we afford to have the time to dedicate the many hours a week we
devote to the "Sharing Gardens"? Why do we so rarely invite anyone over
to visit us in our home? Are we independently wealthy or just very
frugal?
About
three years ago, at the same time we were getting the Alpine "Sharing
Gardens" started, Chris and I decided to seriously downsize. We were
spending about $800/month on rent and utilities (not to mention all the
other costs of running a household). Our house was way too big for our
needs and we felt disheartened at seeing all that rent money being spent
for nothing tangible that could grow in any meaningful way. We put up
some posters around town advertising for a new place to live. The first
people to respond had the perfect situation: An 8' x 40' travel trailer -
hooked up to plumbing, sewer, and electricity, in a little grove of
trees overlooking 400 acres of farmland. It was a place we could rent
for a small fee and several hours a month of work-trade. Free from the
stress of meeting such a big monthly financial obligation we could slow
down our pace of living and devote our energies to the "Sharing Gardens"
and other service projects.
We
live a simple life. We rise early and spend time with our spiritual
studies; acknowledging all we have to be grateful for, getting quiet
inside so we can listen for guidance, then we do some yoga on the floor.
Most mornings we choose a simple project, preferring to get one or two
things accomplished without haste or pressure, rather than facing a huge
list of tasks that can never all get done in the time allotted. On any
given day, we may not get much done but, like the Tortoise, we find that
- "Slow and steady wins the race." Reflecting back I can see just how
much we
have accomplished unaccompanied by the sense of hurry and
pressure that so many people experience, engaged in the usual busy,
modern lifestyle. Afternoons usually include a nap, or at least a
rest-time; a pause
before taking on an afternoon project, going for a walk, computer-time
or other household maintenance tasks.
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| Tomato sauce - 2009 |
We are ovo-lacto vegetarians, eating plant-foods,
eggs and dairy products. This is not a religion for us but we notice we
feel better eating this way and know it helps us live lighter on the
planet (and easier on the pocket-book!) Through the "Sharing Gardens" we
are able to grow a high percentage of our food. Mid-August through
Thanksgiving are the busiest times for us as we convert the harvest into
stored goods that will see us through to next year's garden-season. In
Autumn we also fill our pantry with gleaned fruits and nuts and wild
mushrooms foraged in the woods near our home. We keep our two
food-dehydrators going almost non-stop during this time and 'can' a
variety of foods and juices.
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| Loft-bed with root cellar below. |
Living in such a small space can be a challenge at
times, especially in the wet, cold, winter months when we spend more
time inside. A few months back, we removed our dining room table and
chairs and began
eating "Japanese-style", sitting on the floor to make room for morning
Yoga. We have a plastic table-cloth we pull out to sort seeds, do craft
projects or other things we used to do on the table. The side-benefit of
this arrangement is that all the "ups" and "downs", several times a
day, for meals etc has also increased our fitness and flexibility. But
it has also limited who we can have over for extended visits, as not
everyone is up for these forced calisthenics!
We
appreciate as well, the blessings of this lifestyle. It has prevented us
from accumulating excess possessions (as a friend put it, who also
lives in a travel trailer, "You empty your pockets and its time to clean
house!"). It has encouraged us to be more organized as well. For
example, we have many of our shoes hanging from a peg-board, we hang
plastic bags we've washed for re-use from cup hooks using clothes-pins
and our bed is built up on a loft which provides a "root cellar" and
cool storage space below! Such a small space encourages us to get
outside often for walks and find projects that can be done in the
shop-space we have in the barn.
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| We can dream, can't we? |
However, as
much as we love our little home, lately we have begun to feel urges to
move to a new situation. We would like a place with 3-4 bedrooms so we
would have room to invite guests to stay; host some interns to learn
about the "Sharing Gardens" - to transplant this model to other towns
and cities. Ideally our expenses wouldn't rise too steeply. A
fixer-upper farmhouse, or care-taking situation where we could do
work-trade for part of our rent could be a real win-win. We'd like a
place we could really grow into--developing a garden site on the
property, managing a greenhouse; having a shop-space for projects and a
big enough living room to host song-circles, other community-building
gatherings and classes in rural-arts skills as we've outlined in our
Mission Statement.
These
times we're living in are calling for people to return to having many
basic skills our grandparents took for granted: growing and storing
food, repairing things instead of just getting new ones, making and
mending clothes and taking care of each other in a spirit of family,
"neighborhood" and community. We would like to create a welcoming
home/school where people could teach and learn these kinds of skills and
develop friendships based on the meaningful exchange of information and
service. Do you happen to know of such a place? We'd like to hear from
you.
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| Planting trees. |
In an effort to increase our cash-flow and prepare
the ground for this next step in the "Sharing Gardens" ministry, Chris
and I would like to offer our services to the people in Alpine, Monroe,
Junction City and Harrisburg on a sliding scale basis. Both of us bring
skills and experience in a variety of trades, from gardening and
landscape maintenance, to painting and handyman work. We can also do
cleaning, hauling and organizing. Your support in hiring us will go
directly towards keeping the "Sharing Gardens", and all they stand for,
thriving and blossoming in South Benton County and beyond!
We can be reached by phone or email:
Llyn and Chris - (541) 847-8797
Click here to send an email
Our
roto-tillers and lawn mowers get quite a work-out! The gardens would
really benefit from someone who likes to tinker and tune up small
engines to keep them running well. We'll keep you supplied with lots of
fresh, organic produce!