Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Vision Expanded

Somehow there are doors that we step through that open new worlds, and we don't really see the doors but the new worlds are completely THERE and REAL.

One of these doors was in Switzerland, where I sat in a hotel room by myself, meditating and doing asanas, and while I did the asanas I watched a lady over at her house outside the hotel walls making a garden. She cleared a space, a load of soil was brought in to cover the bare mountainside earth, she measured it meticulously with a meter stick, laid in her plants and seeds, and watched it grow. So did I. It struck me deep in my heart and lodged there and that was the beginning of the concept of our farm in Natick, which we owned 6 months later.

Another door just opened, but maybe it was only ajar. I peeked through it yesterday and saw our move to Anacortes. And I casually mentioned, as if it weren't important, that maybe other family members would end up moving there too.

Now, after a great conversation with Bonnie, I have shoved the door fully open and taken a deep and satisfying breath and ...

[If I counted the ways that all the themes of my life converged on this vision, it would take all day to write, so, knowing that for the most part you know what they are, I will just plunge on...]

Here it is: We move from Tucson to the Skagit Valley area.

[We have noticed that in Anacortes itself one can have a view of the islands, or one can have a decent place to grow things, but not both...]

So I think, we move to the Skagit Valley, where farmland is abundant and inexpensive.

We invite anyone in the family, who wants to, to join us, either seasonally or full-time. Work in Seattle and come for weekends! Work at home. Work the farm. Have animals. Weave, knit, create. Plant an orchard. Have eggs and chickens and eggs and eggs and ducks and eggs. Milk? Cheese? Alpacas? Any of it...

Build a second home there for your family, or take the main house and we'll build us a little place...

The view is of Padilla Bay. The growing season is 11 months. The frosts are infrequent, as are the heat waves (anything over 70).

Forever I have been dreaming of the family vacation/reunion place. Now it will be home. Who would not want to visit this area in the summer? Who would not want to use it to launch a trip to Alaska, or out fishing, or out orca-watching, or camping on nearby islands whose campsites can be reached only by boat?

Who would not want to eat local every day of the year? Who would not want neighbors who are doing the same thing - willing to work hard in order to live right?

Who would not want to have a little farm stand where they could sell their crafts and their kids could sell their produce and eggs?

What vision!?! No, the door is open. This is now! We're going to do it, and we invite you to be a big or small part of it.

And we will go on missions and trips when we want to and ...

... get out of this insane bloated economy and into a more wholesome realistic life.

I can't wait to tell Dongy!

8 comments:

MandaMommy said...

Ha! Good thing he likes that sort of thing! I like it! I was going to suggest it, but wasn't sure how attached you were to Anacortes itself. I can't wait to join you someday...

trogonpete said...

The best idea you've had since...

me.

-me

Elizabeth said...

It is so great! I have tears in my eyes because this is so right!

Elizabeth said...

pete--

wow. really.

wow.

MandaMommy said...

Happy Birthday, btw!

Martie said...

Sa-WEEEET!

It's about time!

Martie

Real said...

Frankly, you lost me at summer temps not getting above 70. I love a good summer. I live for summers. Spring and Fall are only tolerable because they are respites from the dreaded winter.

But you can't please everybody all the time!

Peg Lewis said...

Back at Real:

You'd probably find that after a couple of years full-time, the summers would seem quite warm.

We never got out of the 60s last year. Once on the North Slope of Alaska in July we got over 80, but in Anacortes it only got to 68. It felt really warm!

:)