JY Bartlett

Writing myself into wholeness. Non-binary, trans author figuring out how to move through trauma, grief and adversity and reclaim all the parts of myself.

[jybartlett]

My natural dye experiments to date. 1. From the vats I took home from a mushroom dyeing class @eugenetextilecenter with @cheshirelovespisolithus : sarcodon, hydenellum auranticum, phaeolous schweinitzii (the 2 yellows, tonal variations from adjusting the pH with ammonia after dyeing), and pisolithus 2. From my garden and the farm: camelia flowers, bluebell (with an ammonia after bath), and old man's beard lichen (boiling water extraction) 3. More garden plants and food leftovers: kale, carrot and parsnip tops, and rosemary and black tea 4. On the drying rack: thistle from the farm, rhododendron flowers from my garden (with an iron dip). #naturaldyeing #mushroomdye #phaeolusschweinitzii #pisolithus https://www.instagram.com/p/CebbNf8ruv5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jybartlett]

I went for a walk in the rain, ostensibly to collect my Farm Sign this way sign from the main road, but also to collect oak moss (back right of the pic). I'm not sure what the lichen in the front is. Some kind of foliose something...? That's as far as I've gotten in identifying it. It was on the fallen branches with the oak moss and old man's beard. They'll be joining my collection of lichen ammonia vats, turning them into dye. I'm hoping for some bright colors. #lichendye #lichenidentification #oakmoss #naturaldyeing https://www.instagram.com/p/CeXlacxrs8A/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jybartlett]

My farm stand is here! I built it with my own (not very great at carpentry yet) hands. I grew this food, too. Bright lights swiss chard, salad greens and garlic so far today. The greens and chard harvested just moments ago. 2075 Charnelton St, Eugene, OR You can sign up for the @jennifernfarm mailing list over on the linktree in the Jennifern Farm IG bio to get notified what we've got growing and what we have on offer at our little pop-up farm stand this season. #growing https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd_V0sBJbP1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jybartlett]

It's 8 am and breakfast is ready but there's no teenager sitting at the table. It's like it's a Monday at the end of May. Hey, I'm not in the shower yet, either. How many more weeks left of school? I appreciate that the rhythm of the school year gets me up at 6:30, looking out the window and noticing the passing seasons, journaling, sipping tea, giving gratitude. I appreciate that summer and weekends let me sleep just a bit longer, letting my body wake when it's ready. I don't have many more years of this. Our youngest is in 9th grade. Three more after this school year completes. Unless they need breakfast before college classes. Or wake ups for work. 😂 #lifecycles #mondaymorning https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd57DWALBaB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jybartlett]

Next in things that fit into other things: I realized last year's greenhouse can fit into this year's greenhouse. The result - more shelf space! Some starts are already in the ground at one of @jennifernfarm 's urban locations this year. More are growing. #greenhouse #vegetablegarden #veggietstarts https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd3cT2XLkRP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jybartlett]

I remain impressed with what I can fit into my Subaru. I thought this was going to have to go on the roof (I didn't bring my trailer), but decided to give it a try. I'm currently building a farm stand to sell my extra garden bounty. Just needed a roof. #farmstand #subaru #latestobsession https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd1seKDP30p/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jybartlett]

The writing shack got a kitchen upgrade. Time for a cup of tea. Confession: I haven't actually written out here in ages. I've been having too much fun putting in hugenkulture beds, stacking logs and wandering around identifying mushrooms and collecting lichen. Next up is installing a gutter to collect the last of the spring rains. And more raised beds for all the seeds I've started that won't possibly fit in my garden at home. Oh and renting a brush hog to beat back the brambles. Then maybe I'll get to the siding and flooring inside. At least I can make tea now. #writingshack #gottahaveacuppa https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdeey76vmW3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jybartlett]

Brewing up some hand dyed yarn. The dye bath is made from bluebells from my garden, which came out slightly different than I'd envisioned. But that's OK. It's part of the magic of natural dye experiments. #naturaldye #yarnlover https://www.instagram.com/p/CdbcWS4vFy5/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jybartlett]

My little green babies are out in the garden, starting their new lives. I started everything from seed this year. Not seed I saved myself. I'm not there yet. #seedlings #springgardening #raisedbeds https://www.instagram.com/p/CdW0gJPJxV2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jybartlett]

It takes effort to get this dirty. 😂 #outatthewritingshack #workinginnature #lovingthis https://www.instagram.com/p/Ccl1lG9vRs1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jybartlett]

The power went out. Time to get ready for bed by headlamp. #makingdo #poweroutage (at Eugene, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/CchU0pHLo1y/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jybartlett]

I'm in awe at the size of this lettuce. They've been overwintering in a cloche. As soon as I opened it up all the varieties grew to similar primordial size. #giantlettuce #veggiegarden #growingmyownfood https://www.instagram.com/p/CcZUkl-LtRX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jybartlett]

Well, I was going to write in my journal... #writerswithcats #journalingproblems https://www.instagram.com/p/CcUCyjbpojD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jybartlett]

I'm cleaning out a closet in my bedroom so I can start recording audiobooks and meditations in there and can't across this photo of me 30 years ago. I'd just moved to South Florida and was posing by the mailbox of our rental house. I was 15 1/2. I love the look on my face, being provoked into smiling by my mum behind the camera, clearly thinking something mischievous. Not much has changed. I've still got that mischief in me. Strange to think I've lived my life twice over again since then. I'm still very connected to who I was then, though. #oldphotos #southflorida #thirtyyearsago #stillgotthatsmirk https://www.instagram.com/p/CcMcMaWLF2i/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jybartlett]

I love checking on my Little Free Library and seeing what folks have put inside. This morning I found the excellent This Is My America by @kcjohnsonwrites 🥰 Wonderful, powerful book and author. Can't wait to read her forthcoming words in Invisible Son next year. I added some books from my own stash and tidied it up a bit. At some point this year I'm going to rebuild the whole thing as it has some water damage so it can continue to hold amazing books for years to come. #littlefreelibrary #littlefreelibrarystewards #booksmatter https://www.instagram.com/p/CcDkP96FBjP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jybartlett]

I had to harvest some raised veggie beds so we could top them up with soil for this year's growing. Arugula, chard, pac choi leaves, beet greens, skinny little parsnips, spring onions, kale. Yummo. I'm amazed how much is growing out there still. It all overwintered great. There are still 2 beds full of salad greens, kale, beets and leeks. #urbanhomestead #backyardgarden #springcrops https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb6dUsCL1Hy/?utm_medium=tumblr

[jybartlett]

"Didn't I come here to see what I am when I divest myself of everyone else's rules?" - An Unknown Woman by Alice Koller

I first read this book when I was 14 and had just a few days to pack up my life before unexpectedly leaving Barbados.

I wrote about it in my journal at the time. A journal that alternated between ruminations on man-boys and reflection about who I was, my relationship with my father, what leaving England meant, and how I didn't know how it would affect my life as it had.

I wrote that I wondered if I should write about my life and if I'd be able to stop pretending and acting if I did and write about the real me, who I am inside.

As I'm now writing that story, I'm re-reading this book, possibly the one that nudged me onto my writing path in the first place.

I've long rebelled from, ignored and bent many of the rules others made for me. I'm still learning who I truly am when I fully root them out and divest myself of them.