Grasshopper and the Ant

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/eat-up-we-may-soon-witness-the-decline-and-fall-of-a-food-empire/article1609951/

I woke up to this article being reference on the Ontario Emergency Preppers Network blog. It is a good incentive to rethink just what greening we can do in our urban environment. We have quite a bit of space for a suburban home. I need to get thinking about growing as much as we can again and also canning, etc. I would much rather be the grandmother type with lots of cold storage and canning than our modern day shop every other day type.

I have missed the growing period this year but I need to start preparing the space and planning to get everything in next Spring and on time in order to take advantage of as much of the growing season as possible. So time to find some motivation and get focused!!

Making a small difference

As a girl I went through an exercise of realizing just how small I was in the grand scheme of things. I spent a few moments totally freaked out feeling that I was going to disappear from existence because I was so infinitesimally small. Although we are small, we can make a difference now in this world. Sometimes when we look at the huge ills that plague this world we have moments of "what's the point" and "what can little me do"?

We need to step away and realize that we are only ultimately responsible for our own lives and the lives of those closest to us. By living a life that is based on a strong virtue foundation, striving to make a difference each day, we can enrich the lives of those around us. This makes those around us happier and more content which in turn causes a small part of the world around us to be infected with our good influence.

The small ways in which I can make a difference are many and effect different spheres of influence.

Home: - do small maintenance and cleaning jobs to contribute to the upkeep of the home

- seasonal changes and organization

- maintain the household budget, banking, etc.

Family: - provide a secure nest to return to for holidays and special occasions

- making food from "scratch" to eliminate chemicals and additives

- be available for friends and family when they are in need

Studies: - eliminate time wasters to be able to read and study

- set up a study space so that it is easier to get the writing and studies done

A Rose by another name

SAITH the Poet, "The winds blow upon the trees, and their leaves fall upon the ground. Then do the trees begin to bud again, and by the springtime they put forth new branches. So is the generation of men; some come into the world, and others go out of it." Of these leaves then thy Children are. And they also that applaud thee so gravely, or, that applaud thy speeches, with that their usual acclamation, O wisely spoken! and speak well of thee, as on the other side, they that stick not to curse thee, they that privately and secretly dispraise and deride thee, they also are but leaves. And they also that shall follow, in whose memories the names of men famous after death, is preserved, they are but leaves neither. For even so is it of all these worldly things. Their spring comes, and they are put forth. Then blows the wind, and they go down. And then in lieu of them grow others out of the common matter of all things, like unto them. But, to endure but for a while, is common unto all. Why then shouldst thou so earnestly either seek after these things, or fly from them, as though they should endure for ever? Yet a little while, and thine eyes will be closed up, and for him that carries thee to thy grave shall another mourn within a while after.

MARCUS AURELIUS. MEDITATIONS. Book x. 36.

If I liken myself to a flower, perhaps a Rose, I should strive to be the most fragrant, colourful and bountiful rose that I can be. The trick in life is to figure out what activities and pursuits make the best of our "best self" and to pursue these things as a priority in our lives. We often get sidetracked away from our potential as a Rose and think of ourselves as a Carnation instead. Yes, it is still a flower but we can never be a good Carnation if we are a Rose.

A good exercise for me to do today would be to actually figure out what makes me "tick" and what pursuits and goals would allow me to reach my full potential. What do Roses do and what makes Roses grow, bloom and flourish? This is one of my tasks today... to sit down and write what makes me bloom and flourish.

Complacency in the Modern Age

"For I know what a slave is, blinded by what he thinks good fortune." - Epictetus

We tend towards complacency when we have a "comfortable life". We can sit in suburbia and not feel the plight of the homeless or those suffering loss at the hands of natural disasters, etc. The challenge is to act in a virtuous manner in spite of the fact that we are comfortable. If we choose not to act or do what we can, we are making ourselves a slave to our comfort and good fortune. The very level of comfort that we strove to attain becomes the master that enslaves us to complacency.

Above our my thoughts based on our Stoic reading of the day. As a "kept woman" I often struggle with a lack of motivation and complacency. Quite often the larger principles of "living close to nature" etc. shout out the day to day principles of virtue and doing what is right and living in the present. Lately, I have been lost in a tangent of looking for a country spread in which to live closer to nature but this has caused my suburban spread to look more neglected and less loved and more "lived in". I have decided to focus less on the search for a country spread and focus more on living fully day to day. A principle that can save me from spinning my wheels and never fully accomplishing much on a daily basis.

First: Home blessing - surface clean the house from top to bottom, make chili for supper so we are ready for the gym.
Second: Sort through my fabric to see what I can use for robes that I need to make.
Third: Get ready to lead the Skira for Midsummer this weekend.

setting appropriate goals

We need to understand what is truly in our power. If we set a goal and it is something that is totally beyond our capacity to achieve, we will be miserable and feel thwarted. We need to put value in the appropriate goals and principles and will thus achieve a happy and productive life.

I can want to be a CEO of a major corporation but the only thing that is in my control for this goal is getting the skills necessary and being the best employee I can. Whether I am actually hired as a CEO is beyond my control. This is why so much of our society is frustrated and angry, they have set their goals as a title rather than being the type of person worthy of that title.

Mike and I have decided that we need more income and less expenses for our household. We are reducing costs wherever possible and I am looking for work. We would like to renovate the house and it is impossible to do with the budget the way it is. I am also going to work on The Portable Library while I am looking for an "outside" job. Getting a job is outside of my control so I am going to apply for anything that looks like a good fit but focus on reducing costs and increasing our income as much as possible. Reducing involves the process of deciding what we value at home and reducing our outgoing money accordingly. Part of this process of cutting back must involve slowing down as we spend more money when we are too busy and running everywhere. Two weekend festivals in a row has wreaked havoc on our budget so we must prioritize and decide what "vacations" we can handle without breaking the bank.