Starting From Here

A Conversation about Reclaiming an Authentic, Healthy, Joyful, and Sustainable Life in our Homes, our Communities, and our World.

[peaceisofus-deactivated20151112]

You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.

Anne Lamott (via peaceisofus)

Exactly!!!!!!

(via alexandraelle)

[starting-from-here-blog]

I updated the front of my lean-to greenhouse.  The greenhouse is made from 3 old sliding patio glass doors (long side).  The frame is just 2x4s that come down off the rafters of the side of the garage and are nailed to fence posts.  The old front of the greenhouse was rotten and the window panes were falling out all the time.  I found these three windows at Habitat for Humanity ReUse store in Maumee for $7.00 each.  I used cedar dog ear fence panels for the front.  I originally planned to paint it grey and white to match the garage, but I really love the bare wood look.  I am going to coat it in polyurathane.  Next experiment is to put a small woodburner in it to warm it up in late winter so that I can start all my garden plants.

[aquaticwonder]

[starting-from-here-blog]

yup

[blossomingsun-deactivated201903]

[meditationsinwonderland]

Wow, well played Ian Somerhalder.

ॐ welcome to my Wonderland ॐ

[starting-from-here-blog]

AMEN

[starting-from-here-blog]

i hope you arent uncomfortable with answering this but what religion do you practice? what do you believe in?

I am a high school teacher and I teach World Literature, so I am educated in all religions.  I like Buddhism, Toaism, and some aspects of pagan religions.  I have a reverence for Nature and feel we are all a part of it.  I am open to all wisdom, but tend to avoid the dogmatic (tell you how to live) religions that do not leave room for the individual journey.  Thanks for asking.

[starting-from-here-blog]

I found a cool curved bench at my local Habitat for Humanity store and it inspired me to create a zen garden.  It is pretty cool.   i just drew a circle on the ground in the side yard where the shade makes the grass not grow, plopped down some landscape fabric and bordered it with used brick, and filled it in with pea gravel and a few big rocks.  It turned out pretty cool and it is relaxing to rake the gravel.

[starting-from-here-blog]

My daughter Eden is in India on a Fulbright Grant. She is doing research for the seed movement, trying to help farmers and preserve bio-diversity in the face of giant multi-cultural corporations that seek to own all the seed stock and eliminate farmers autonomy and tradition.  Please check out her blog.  If you are interested in sustainablity, seeds, anthropology, globalization, agriculture, tradition, magic, and nature, you will love her thoughts.  Please leave a comment to encourage her!

[starting-from-here-blog]

Buy CFI Seed Saving Guide by Eden Kinkaid (Paperback) online at Lulu. Visit the Lulu Marketplace for product details, ratings, and reviews.

[sticky-tires]

Vote with your money.

[uaeveggies-blog]

Grow Food, Not Lawns. In the UAE, so much water gets wasted to grow… well, grass. And yes, it looks pretty but that’s about it. Wouldn’t it be better to invest more in locally grown crops?

[thelostcanary]

Good idea for my future home

[eyeonpeace]

Small house, round house, snug house, bug house. :)

[starting-from-here-blog]

Fungus Amongus

We got this mushroom kit from the Ann Arbor Farmers Market.  It's a plastic bag full of straw that is innoculated with oyster mushrooms.  It is blooming like crazy.  It is supposed to bloom up to three times.  It was only 20 dollars.  They have many varieties.  We are going to be experimenting with fungi!

[starting-from-here-blog]

It is a beautiful summer day.  The bees are busy, my April chicks are looking like nice young ladies, and the goldfish are swimming under the lilly pads.

[starting-from-here-blog]

I have been letting my back 2 acres go wild for about 20 years.  I have added some native plants and removed some invasive plants.  This boring, much to my suprise, as I was walking down the path to the woods, I can across this beautiful fellow, and Eastern Box Turtle.  I am so excited.  I need to plant some more May apples and wood geranium!

[duchessvanbee]

[starting-from-here-blog]

I am getting some more bees this week.  I got a lot of honey.  I sold 12 quarts and have enough profit to start another hive.  

[fu-zzzzzy-logic]

[starting-from-here-blog]

sticky-tiresRecycle kitchen waste into fresh eggs!

[starting-from-here-blog]

I got 3 Black Australorpes and 3 Light Brahma chicks to add to my little chicken flock.  The other girls are about 3 yrs. old, so their egg production will start tapering off.  Happy Easter!

[trashcrook]

I’ll be living in this soon!

[starting-from-here-blog]

JOIN THE REVOLUTION. CHECK OUT WHAT I DID TO MY CAMPER THAT IS SIMILAR TO YOURS!  Scroll down to find Trottwood.