I love my neighborhood

I feel so grateful for my Brown Farm Neighborhood. It has taken me a decade to appreciate this place. I have tried to move so many times it is not funny. I have wanted it to be something it might never be…an intentional community set up as a land trust. And, it is possible that some day it might happen. But for now, I bask in the glow of my wonderful neighborhood with all it’s imperfections and loveliness.

Let me give you an example of a few days in the life of my neighborhood, which is rich with opportunities to build a sense of community every day. A few days ago I came home to a note on my door from Alex, my next door neighbor. Alex is the daughter of people I used to know when we lived in Chimes 33 years ago. She offered to give me some plants if I wanted them. We got together the next day and I gratefully accepted the tomato, pepper and broccoli plants which she carefully planted from seed, varieties which were unique-ones that she found to be most successful. Wow! What a gift. I am working with Mary Thornton on a market garden, and we need lots of plants. I carefully transplanted them and set them out in my back yard on a nice round table.

I decided to free up some apple trees in close proximity to my house. They were becoming overgrown with honeysuckle vines and trees–both very invasive plants which must have some good purpose–but I can’t figure out what!  I felt so satisfied after about 45 minutes of cutting, and I even found a cherry tree behind the apple trees that I started freeing up. I have started covering up the ground with cardboard covered with leaves and grass clippings I have gathered around town. This will discourage the further growth, and I won’t have to dig. I feel so happy that Josh, the owner of the property on which I live, planted all these trees. When I told him I what I was doing, he was satisfied because he wanted the trees to thrive. With all the rain we have had, the trees are thriving–but so is the honeysuckle!

I went over to Martha and Josh Brown family house to see if I could get my weekly ration of left over food. We have an agreement that Martha cleans out her refrigerator of things that might go to waste otherwise, and I come up with all kinds of little treats that I normally wouldn’t use. I drink a green smoothie every day which loves to have a variety of ingredients, or I mix up assorted vegies with my eggs or salad.

I offer to mow the garden paths today as a way of saying thank you for them letting me have all the lettuce and greens I want. Last winter, the kale that they kept growing in cold frames was an essential part of my fresh nutrition. There is nothing like going out to the garden and picking fresh greens–more than saving money, it is convenient, no refrigeration required, and the vitamins are at their peak when something is freshly picked. Not to mention that eating locally is more healthy–our creator made it so the nutrients we need are located in our own locality.

Josh is very grateful that I can help since he is way behind on stuff and is not feeling well. He piles some extra special fruit in my box of give aways–mangoes, peaches, tangelos–I think as a way of saying thank you for the mowing. But I was saying thank you for the greens, and for all the care they give my daughter when I am working and she hangs out with them. I also supply them with all the eggs they need as a way of showing my gratitude for all they do. The law of giving and receiving and abundance resulting is really evident in our relationship. It is hard to believe that 9 years ago I ran away from home partly because of my conflict with Josh (that is another very long story which I will tell some day). Now, they are some of my dearest friends and the love keeps flowing!

I take my treasures home after Josh instructs me on using the lawn mower. After I put my goodies carefully away, I proceed to do the mowing, and lawn mower conks out. I then proceed to Scott’s house, because I have promised to mow his lawn since my son is not available. He helps me get going on the lawn mower, and then it conks out. I go over to the other mower to see if I can get it going–Scott comes around and patiently helps me once again get the lawn mower going. I appreciate Scott, who has lived in the neighborhood the longest–about 17 years. He has been unfailingly friendly and helpful, giving rides to my son and other kids when they needed them, and my kids like him, too. His dog, Bobo, was a puppy when we came here over a decade ago, and I still love that dog who has also been consistently kind!

My friend Mary calls to see if I can take care of Rosa at the last minute. I am so glad I have a free day–the first I have been able to spend all day in my neighborhood in a while. Mary and Rosa are happy, too! Mary comes over, and Rosa is sleeping in her car seat. I start doing my dishes outside in buckets which have rain water in them. Mary joins in, helping me rinse them. I feel so satisfied with our easy flow of conversation. We talk about how to improve the Community Gathering (she is my biggest supporter in that), parenting (she is grateful for my mentoring), and lawn mower repair.  I love our natural flow, and the fact that I can get my much needed dish washing done while I have a wonderful conversation. We just finished the dishes when Rosa wakes up.

I like having Rosa, who is two years old, because I get to practice being a parent of a two year old again, and I get paid for hanging out at the farm. Mary and I had talked about the book the Continuum Concept, and she reminded me that the hunters and gatherers way of dealing with children was to have them be a part of the natural flow of life–rather than making child centered activities like playgrounds and pre-schools. I decided to try this out, and so I did many things like rake up some grass clippings, pick greens and putting mulch on the trees. Sometimes she helped, sometimes she watched, sometimes she played at other things while I worked. I talked to her like she was an adult, explaining about the various plants and what was going on with me. She is an amazingly peaceful child who is so responsive to me. At one point, her mom was late, and I was getting concerned that something had happened to Mary. Rosa kept telling me that she was afraid, and wanted me to hold her–she was so in tune with my feelings! Then we found some strawberries to eat and she wasn’t afraid any more.  Mary showed up and all was well. Mary asked Rosa, “did you have a good time?” and Rosa was very enthusiastic. We had visited Martha’s home as well and spent time with her twins playing–so she did get a great dose of the farm.

Now I was ready to try to mow the lawn again. Josh helped me get another lawn mower started which was easier to start. I proceeded to mow paths between his garden, as well as finish the garden paths in Mary’s and my garden. It was pretty hard work because the grass had gotten longer than usual, but I took great satisfaction in getting a work out and getting something done at the same time. I also felt totally joyful that I could do something really helpful for Josh because he works so hard in his garden and I partake of the fruits of that. My son mowed the paths last time, which was wonderful.

It was late when I finished, and it was almost dark. I made a meal out of the beans and frozen peppers that Martha had given me that day, adding some other ingredients I had on hand, including lettuce from the garden to make delicious burritos. I missed my kids, who are staying with Robert, my husband, in our other neighborhood for most of the past week. But it was nice to just go to bed early, with the hopes that I would wake up early to get a lot of work done on the computer.

I woke up early, and took a dip in the pond which is only 50 feet from my back porch. I won’t be showering inside for most of the summer. I don’t like to use the city water with it’s chlorine, and I save money for Josh and martha, who pay the water bill for everyone. Besides, it is just so refreshing to jump into the pond, feeling the clay beneath my feet, fresh air and a lovely breeze. I saw a wild duck fly up out of the water just before I came.

There were actually many other enriching things that happened yesterday–like a brief interaction with Mike who was so loving to Rosa, seeing the Brown family working together to clear out the results of a micro-burst and lightening strike which narrowly missed hitting two houses, hanging out briefly with MIss Ann, Josh’s 90 year old mother who is so loving to everyone; interacting with Brad this morning who is helping with the community gathering and finalizing some details; picking a big bag of the very prolific lettuce so I can give some to Robert; picking greens this morning from all parts of the farm for my morning green smoothie, and including some of the goodies Martha gave me.

Solly, a 9 year old friend of mine, telling me that the mulberries were ripe, and sharing a little space with him and the mulberry tree. We talk about how we can save as many mulberries as possible, and I suggest putting down sheets. He likes that idea, and I say I will talk to Jay, who rents the house where the tree lives. Jay just happens to be working in his and Dabne’s gorgeous garden. He is enthusiastic about finding creative ways to be able to save as many mulberries as possible, and we have a good time brainstorming.  Jay and Dabne are great neighbors and always ready to figure out solutions to problems.

Wow! If this was all in a 24 hour period, I guess I would have a book to write! I have wanted to celebrate my neighborhood for a long time, but I was too busy living to do the writing. I feel happy that I have taken this 45 minutes to bask in the glow of my neighborhood. It has taken me a decade to learn to appreciate my neighborhood instead of focusing on the negative. The more that I appreciate the goodness of my neighborhood, the more good it becomes! At times, when I feel dissatisfied with my relationships with my neighbors, instead of complaining to others as I have in the past, I pray for them, appreciate the good things they do, and just remind myself that we all have needs we are trying to get met. I pray that all of our needs can get met, and that the barriers we have to love each other unconditionally will dissolve. I pray that I can love all as God loves us–extravagantly. I want to see everyone as people who are equally valuable in God’s eyes and my eyes, also–that any behavior I feel uncomfortable about is a result of either my distress or their’s and that there can be total and complete reconciliation and creative solutions.

I celebrate my neighborhood, a place where I have opportunities every day to  follow Jesus’s example of being love to all.

I thank you for being present with me in my celebration! I hope you will share with me any thoughts and feelings you have, and needs that were met by reading this. I hope that you will share your celebration of your neighborhood as well.