Aaahhh, Spring!

Join me as my teaching schedule begins.....

The temperatures warm and rain begins to wash away the snow here in the Northeast.  Our hearts are with the folks in Texas.  Again, we ask ourselves “how could this happen in the richest country in the world?”  Let us be clear, the white folks who believe this is a white country have declared war with the acquittal of Donald Trump.  This country was made for white men and  although the rest of us have made substantial gains, the struggle continues.  More than half the states’ Republican leaders have filed upwards of 150 bills to legislate voter suppression.  They know with a free and clear election they may never win again.  The will of the people is strong and we believe in benevolence and compassion.  Never mind that Turtle Island was never a white country (never was never will be), it has been in the words of Dr. Greg Carr “a criminal enterprise” from the outset.  Let’s be real, though, slavery built the world economy long before the United States was created, in fact made it possible for the wealthy to steal land across the world and impose an occupation on the indigenous of Turtle Island.  They were skilled at it, having already subdued their own indigenous people in Europe.  We’ll never be able  to section off Amerikka and let the white separatists learn how much they depend on the rest of us.  How much they are not responsible for the basic inventions that drive our civilization, numbers, engineering, industry, agriculture.  How they are the Johnny Come Latelys to civilization and have the rest of us to thank for dragging their asses out of the cold dank caves of Europe.  So, we stand here and we fight.  We develop the unity that will drag their asses once again into the light.
 
Again, we seek benevolence and compassion, the nature of being.  We live in an abundant universe and although, it is difficult for many of us, (including me), we only need ask and the universe will provide.  We need not live in fear of scarcity.
 
As the season ramps up, we understand that abundant universe as we can still see the richness of last season’s bounty in our fridges and cupboards.  Bracing ourselves for grocery prices to rise we have been stockpiling wares for the long haul.  We are resilient.  We share energy, resources and skills in our individual communities and therein lies the work.  We should take into consideration that the white politician, although we are witnessing the most diverse cabinet picks in the history of the country, they may have an obligation to preserve the white country that was created.  What politician would like to go down in history as the one who destroyed Amerikkka? 
 
Last Thursday’s 45º day smelled of Spring and that is enough for us growers to catch Spring fever.  We are excited for re-engagement with the land.  In the deep dark and cold Winter, we have amnesia and forget that there is a growing season coming.  Probably only natural because we can’t be outside, this Winter especially, not even see the ground for weeks.  We head for Spring Equinox March 20 and I always catch myself saying to myself “Oh, yeah, soon we’ll be back in the gardens!”  Our grower’s hearts waking up from the long Winter’s nap.  We also seek harmony, which is the relationship the indigenous have with the land, here on Turtle Island upwards of 10,000 years.

Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia

A remnant photograph from Autumn that I forgot to post. 

Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Vitaceae, Vine, Turtle Island
Fall color and berries.  Yummy sweetness for our Wild Salad in season.  Each level of growth has a different flavor.  Shows up next to Poison Ivy so be aware. 

Oxford English dictionary defines benevolent as wishing to do good; actively friendly and helpful.  Empire creates sad, miserable souls who have never experienced benevolence, so how could we possibly expect them to be benevolent.  We who believe in community were raised by families that (although maybe authoritarian like mine) showed us how to love and be kind and share with one another.  We are the ones to build resilient communities.  Start right where you are, say hello and hold one another through this madness.
 
Compassion is defined as pity inclining one to help or be merciful.  I don’t like that definition.  Pity sounds too needy.  I want compassion to mean, placing oneself in another’s shoes and seeing us all as one.  The American Heritage dictionary says it better – Deep awareness of the suffering of another.  I still like my definition best.  We are hippies and we see ourselves embodying the teachings of Jesus not espousing them and living in hypocrisy.
 
Absolute power corrupts absolutely, right?  And the powerful run roughshod over us.  What’s the endgame we wonder.  We’ve been abandoned by the Establishment.  If ever there was a benevolent and compassionate Establishment, we are not experiencing it now.  We do have each other.  You and I and everyone we can gather.  Soon we will head back out to Mother, the most benevolent and compassionate and she will allow us to dance with her once again placing our hands in the dirt.  The energy that vibrates through our fingers is love.  The sun that shines down on our faces is love.  The water that flows over our plants is love.  Hours during our weeks soon, we can let it all go and let Spirit guide us through the growing season.  Engaged in harmony.  It’s all we’ve got, all we have ever had, all we ever will have.
 
I’m hoping to drop off some kitchen compost on my windrow at Sargent-Downing, hopefully the pile of snow plowed to the head of the driveway up to the garden has melted enough for me to drive over it or shovel it out of the way.  First glimpse of garden for the season.  I hope to take a walk along the river and finally get my Winter shots of my Plant Family as we head here down to Spring Equinox March 20.  Can you smell Spring in the air?
 
Seeds start to arrive and the planning begins.  Old family members and new family members and the anticipation of engaging the land with them.  New skills and techniques to try.  Recalling my new family that I got into the ground last fall, that I will nurture to life this Spring.  I love native plants and have spent the years engaging with them.  Very difficult at times, but plants are the one thing for which I have the most patience.  It is cold, but the snow recedes daily and the evening is visibly lighter these days.  Aaahhh, here we go…..