Mayan Calendar and beyond / Mariella

So we are still here! The world didn’t end on Friday, Christmas came and went and I have to say that even though I didn’t expect to meet my maker last week, a part of me did wonder if there would be some kind of manifestation of lack of Mayan calendar! A bigger swell than usual perhaps or a global hiccup…mass awakening maybe! Am I a little disappointed? Well let’s say that I bought my 2013 Moleskin with a little more fervor than usual. 

And I have nothing planned for New Year!

If there’s no automated rise in consciousness planned anytime soon, perhaps it’s time to manifest my own. I think that on a subconscious level I had my eye in 12/21/12 and now I have my eye on me! There is a growing movement toward looking to our forefathers for a way forward. We look to the Native American Indian prophecies such as the Rainbow Warrior story:

Some time in the future, the Indians said, the animals would begin to disappear. People would no longer see the wolf, or the bear, or the eagles. And, the story goes, the giant trees would also disappear. And people would fight and no longer love one another. And the beautiful rainbow in the sky would fade away; people would not see the rainbow anymore.

Then children would be born into the world. And these children would love the animals, and they would bring them back. They would love trees, and they would bring them back too. And these children would love others and they would bring peace to the world. And these children would love the rainbow, and they would bring back the beautiful rainbow in the sky. For this reason the Indians called these children the rainbow warriors.

http://2012rising.com/article/the-new-children-prophecies-of-the-rainbow-warriors

http://www.manataka.org/page235.html

We look to calendars, ancient texts, documents channeled from the infinitely wise for some guidance on this un-signposted path we tread. And sometimes we find the wisdom we seek and sometimes it sheds a little light on our cloudy road, but you know when someone else is holding the torch for you at night down a winding path to your car? You can see, but the light is always a little off center. And it’s irritating because you’d really rather be the one holding the light! You’re thinking that what you need is a light that comes from you! These incredible sources of valuable insight can only inform us on direction finding, in the end, the path is ours to walk. And if I am the one shining, then that light is perfectly positioned for me! So today I choose to cultivate a brighter light to find my way by, a light so bright that I can see the fork up ahead, or a shear drop! I don’t really see this as a post-Armageddon resolution, there’s another end of the world coming in March anyway! I see this as a renewed perspective on a methodology I already try to employ and I’m excited by it! 

Check out this truly inspired song by a very talented musician, Matisyahu, I will be light!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mbHr5wOKG4 

Why I'm keeping it Local this Holiday / Mariella

I have decided that I’m ready to take the Pledge! This holiday I am only buying local! I’m buying gifts and goodies from Locally owned businesses only! And even though the reasons are obvious, it still helps to bring them to mind in a conscious way and think about them when shopping.

Why it’s a good idea to buy locally designed products:

-South Africa is full of amazingly creative artisans, craftsmen and women, manufacturers, designers. There really is no need to look elsewhere.

- Locally owned businesses tend to take greater care with whom they employ, resulting in better customer care.

-You keep the carbon footprint of your festive season to a minimum, just think about the amount of trash in your bin on boxing day, and how many trashy plastic toys get thrown away in that first week. Now times that by the block and then by the neighborhood and so on….it’s scary stuff!

-  Buying local boosts local economy.

- It increases job availability in your area which in turn puts more money back into local economy which in turn boosts job availability!

- Support of one’s creative endeavors is a powerful incentive to keep creating and if people are supported in what they love to do, it makes the world a much happier place.

- It cultivates unique local identity

- It ensures growing quality instead of decreasing quality of product as a marketplace of many small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term.  A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.

Reasons to supporting local food:

-The produce is fresh and bursting with vitamins,

- It creates relationship between buyers and producers, if you want to know something about the product, ask the farmer, he's standing in front of you!

- You get more for less!

- If it's organically grown it safeguards the environment and protects biodiversity.

- It preserves open space as farmers trading directly to the public make more per metre and are less prone to selling out to developers.

- It cultivates home industry and entrepreneurship.

- It's a place where community meets and grows; a place unique to the character of the town and the people in it. It fosters a direct link to the food we eat and to the land and seasons.

And if you are giving presents this festive season, why not:

- Use news paper instead of wrapping paper and get creative with potato printing.

- Make what you can, especially if you are budgeting a small amount per person and there’s a long list! Chances are you’ll get more for your money by making something at home.

For those of us who like to give gifts at Christmas time, it’s good to keep the spirit of giving in mind; it’s about the love, not the amount of zeros and small prices can go hand in hand with small environmental impact, just think local! Now is the time!

Spring in my garden / Mariella

Contrary to popular belief it is now Spring in Plettenberg Bay. Our season’s are different here, warm time is from December to June. If you expect a week of warm days at a time before that, you may be disappointed! I see it in our garden. 

We planted like possessed farmers in August/September and all those sweet new baby shoots struggled to get out of their beds, like chilled children on a winter’s morning, while mom screams from the door,’ Get up now, it’s time for school!’

But now with a relatively dependable sun baking down on them from 5:00 am to 7:30 pm they are pushing fast toward the sky. It’s a reassuring sight to see! Everything is bright new green and hiding within the protective covering of so many leaves, are small green fruits and flowers of all kinds, carrying infinite possibilities!

   

And we have many different types of tomatoes coming up! Names like Chocolate cherry,Yellow Pear, Yellow stuffer, Mortgage lifter, Ananas Noir, Cuban black,Purple cherry, Ukrainian purple, Pineapple,Brandy wine, Golden princess, Green zebra, wild cherry tomatoes, and some strange unknown variety that look happy!

We use what is called a cold frame to plant some of our seeds in instead of in seedling trays. A cold frame is simply a wooden frame sectioning off an area in your bed. It has another frame the same size over it with a hinge that is used as a door to regulate heat and cold. We cover it with clear plastic in winter to keep it warm, and shade cloth in summer to keep it cool and retain moisture. This is where our little babies live and get transplanted from.

it keeps bugs out and makes sure that no unforeseen elements trash all of our hard work! I'll post some photos as things grow and progress. Spring is here and my garden is a busy place to be!