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On Democracy
Years ago, when my son was in high school, I recruited him, (dragged him) door-knocking with me on a political campaign. It was for a young candidate who was to become our new US representative. (Lauren Underwood, the youngest black member of Congress). He rolled his eyes, as all teens do, but I brought him to the campaign headquarters, got our instructions and off we went. We were assigned to the exurbs. If you’re not familiar, the houses are not on top of one another, though still in neighborhoods. Just on the edge of farmland. And they are whiter than white. I had previously dragged my son to a meet…
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The Ongoing Struggle With Nature
This morning, I ran outside with a cauldron of boiling water and threw it against the base of a pokeweed. I have never felt more like a crone. Our land backs up to a wooded area owned by the county. They sadly neglect it and hope it will just thrive on its own. Except, of course, where there is a walking/biking path that they maintain meticulously, clearing it of debris and danger. But as the property gets close to ours, they shamefully allow buckthorn to take over and suffocate local trees. Only the fiercest of weeds survives along the edge. Years ago, an old ash dropped all its leaves. A…
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The Tyranny of Productivity
I saw the above image while driving home from the grocery store. I glanced at the sky and thought, “How wonderful.” And then I realized how easy it would have been for me to look away and carry on with my day, not stopping to actually look up, not stopping to think, not stopping to appreciate, not stopping. Because, you know, I’m busy. Appointments, meals, laundry, shopping, all that. But what about really living? The older I get, the more I realize that we are all caught on some terrible treadmill. Work, eat, sleep. Work, eat, sleep. Especially anyone who is involved in social media. I have friends who are…
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CroneWork
This is by no means a comprehensive list. But it is a list of some of the things I do, and would recommend to anyone in order to stay sane at this time of life. –-Plant bulbs This is not mandatory, but very satisfying. Now you know that you will have a delight as soon as the spring arrives. If you die over the winter, then you will have given that gift to someone else. The Earth will thank you for the nurturing and the feeding once the bulb dies back to the ground. It’s wins all around. –Talk to young people You have no idea what you’re missing if…