Monday, March 28, 2011

Let's get re-aquainted, shall we?

It's been awhile.  I had in mind to post something at least once a week.  Life has been like crazy-ade since my last (and only) post, trying to get everything organized and get all my stuff moved.  I have only had time to pack, clean, unpack, eat junk food (cuz healthy is a little tough on the run)(I know I'm making excuses)(.......sigh), caress a few friendships, move more, sell some, buy lots-o-gas, and then more unpacking.  I actually have a little more to do, but as the Vice CEO of Aprilland, I've authorized myself an evening off from doing stuff.  By the way, I recommend Craigslist for all your junk-selling needs.  One nice thing about the crazy last few weeks is that I made some buckaroos on some of the furniture I was selling.  I advise not top-posting too much, or you can get marked as a SPAMMER.  I didn't get marked, but they sure threatened.  Heh heh.  Anyway,  this post is really dedicated to telling you the story of how the shes came to be-s (That's just suppose to be "be".  I just wanted to rhyme.)  Here we go.....

 My side of the story starts at two years ago.  Ish.  Through a series of not really events, I realized my hippie-like dream to live on a mountain and have goats and chickens and a beehive or two, and eat the fruits and vegetables from my own big garden (it's called "homesteading", folks).  I kinda thought maybe it was just an emotional phase that would pass, but it never did, and, in fact, the passion increased and became a bit like a fire in my chest.  Fast forward a year.  I was in a renting situation that would not allow me to have a big garden in my back yard (or farm animals, for that matter).  A friend of mine (I call him Drewdle) suggested I have a garden on my church's (plenty-o-land) property.  I found out that there was a garden already there, but for various reasons, it had overgrown with weeds and was being largely unused.  So, for six months I dreamed about and collaberated with a friend about revamping the garden.  Then, sadly (sadly then, but happily now), something happened that closed that door.  And THEN.....I cried. Just a little bit.  BUT, I knew that God would open another door, and that there would be a place for me to have a garden!  Yay!  Goats, chickens, and bees were likely out of the picture for awhile, but, whatevs, yo.  Fruits and veggies are high priority, right?  So, I just prayed a simple prayer and asked God to open another door.  Around the same time,  I realized that maybe what I actually needed, more than having a big garden like asap, was a MENTOR!  I mean, after all the reading and studying and researching I'd been doing on how to have an organic garden without spending big bucks on all of todays modern practices, um, I was feeling a little overwhelmed, kiddos.  It actually paralyzed me a little.  I was afraid to start for fear that I'd mess up and waste lots of time and energy.  Oh, fear.  That's what fear does.  It paralyzes.  So, I prayed another simple prayer.  I asked God to bring a mentor into my life.  I asked for someone who's gone before me and who can teach me what he/she has learned. 

On the outside of my garden world, I'm dealing with another situation.  My living situation.  Nothing bad was happening relationally, it's just that a good friend/roommate of mine was financially unable to hold up her part of the deal, and so she left the scene.  So that left me and my other roommate to cover everything, which has been a pretty big blow to both of our financial situations.  Finding a permanent third roommate was sketchy, and I was already experiencing an itch to live alone anyway.  So, I also began to pray about moving out.  Okay, that's that.  That is info you need to know, but back to the garden...

So, TWO WEEKS after I prayed for a mentor, I received an email from a friend who I have not spoken to for awhile (not for any bad reason. Just because.), and she told me that I had been on her heart for the last couple of weeks, but she was just getting around to emailing me.  She told me that a little widow had come into her life.  The little widow has a little farmhouse out in the country with 7 acres of land.  She does organic gardening (and has a worm farm...and brews her own kombucha...and makes lots-o-soup), and ultimately her heart is for this next generation to learn how to tend to the land, and to learn what it is to eat the fruits of their own labor.  Oh, and she's looking for someone to MENTOR (yes, that was her word.  Emphasis mine.), and wants this person to live in the upstairs apartment of the farmhouse, and in exchange, she will teach that person what she knows.  Crazy right?  I don't normally squeal, but I did just then.  Not now.  Back then.

All that happened about 3 months ago.  Since then, Lady Ann and I have talked and dreamed and laughed and planned and jammed on guitars.  I really can't jam much.  I barely remember a few chords, but you should hear this lady!!  Even if I have to go against her will, I pseudo-promise (if there is such a thing) I will capture her in all her Johnny-Cash-lovin' glory and you will be rocked.  She taught herself peeps.  OH, and, she is ALL about me getting goats, chickens, and beehives.  I'd also like to say that I know a God who loves to ten-up His kids.  When I asked for a mentor, and a new place to have a plot, and a new place to live, I really just thought they were all seperate little prayers.  I figured maybe God would bring me a mentor that I would just end up helping them on their own plot, and then my plot might be at a community garden, which means I'd be driving from garden to garden, but I was okay with that cuz at least God opened up other doors, right?  And, I could only daydream my living situation.  What I THOUGHT was my ideal was to have a cute little cottage-y type house all by myself, but I still knew that I'd be paying a lot for rent and utilities.  Well, now, I live in a farmhouse with my cute little mentor, I get a cute little upstairs apartment/loft area, I'm paying approximately $550 per month LESS than what I was (that is also pretty cute), I get a HUGE plot, PLUS another plot Lady Ann and I are teaming up to be able to give food away to elderly, I get mentored on site (she will tell you that she is still learning, too), I get to live in the country, AND I get those goats and chickens and beehives I thought I'd have to wait years to get.  Mmmmhmmm.  God 100-up'd me.  Another one of my favorite parts of this journey is Little Lady Ann, herself.  She is just about as cute as a ladybug's ear.  (No one I know really knows what a lady bug's ear looks like, but I reckon they're cute.)  I'm a pretty big believer that humans are made for relationship, and this one is gonna be one of those pivotal ones, I can tell.  Seriously folks, you will hear me talking about her a lot.  Actually, the next several posts will be dedicated to character introductions.  You'll get to know me a little more, and then, Lady Ann willing, you'll get to know more about her, too.  She also has her side of the story, so whether it gets shared or not is up to her.  And soon, you'll also meet Don, Buddy, and Asparagus.  Hey.  Keep your peepers peeled for some pictures, okay?  Thanks for listening, and until next time.....

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