Thoughts after Maitake intake

The beautiful September weather lifts my spirits. Golden flecked maple tree swaying in the breeze. Light flutter of quaking aspen. Mushrooms pushing through the forest duff.

The garden begins the slow crawl back under the sheets. The leaves, pine needles, hay, grass, weed carcasses, seeds, fecal matter, and whatnot.

Weasels, worms, crows, and roots. Black soil and clay. A general malaise behind the senses. What is next, what is next. What do I do next?

Brilliance is deadly

My friend Sunshine killed herself more then two years ago, by walking down into her basement with a rope, tying it around her neck, and hanging from this damned noose until she choked to death. The echoes of her death reverberate in my thin skull. She was, and I use the past tense hesitantly and unwillingly, a genius in her own way, a person with a vision of life unlike that of 99.9% of the populace, yet she would never have thought that of herself. She was and is unique in many ways. When she took her own life I couldn't understand how she could have made this choice, considering that she was the toughest person I knew. I still can't understand.

David Foster Wallace hung himself on Friday. He was a literary genius, and, as is the case with some special authors, I felt like I knew him better then I knew my friends or myself. I was shocked that he had taken leave of this plane of existence. It didn't seem possible that someone of such brilliance could off himself. Perhaps brilliance can blind you to the idiocy of such an action.

This culture tells us that we have to be something. I disagree. I believe that there is no one to be, and nothing to do. The harder we try to be someone, the less we are ourselves, because our selves exist naturally. Practice makes perfect. Time never stops and the hardest thing we can do is simply be. Take the time to really notice the way the leaves shine in the sun. Make an omelette slowly.

I turned thirty a couple weeks ago. There was nothing I could do about it. There is nothing I can be because I am already everything that I am.

seeking the seeker

When Pirsig expounds on Quality being the front of train, I think I understand what he is trying to say. But by the very act of trying to explain what Quality is, he fails miserably. Because Quality has no meaning, it is not objective or subjective, it is simply nothing. Everything is nothing, nothing is everything.

Why do we continue to try to explain what doesn't need to be explained? Why do we try to show what doesn't need to be shown? More to the point, where is the train going?

When Lao Tzu tries to explain the Tao, he succeeds to a certain extent. He doesn't pretend that words can replace the actual. He uses words to paint the space around the Tao. What can we do but paint the space around our lives? We have no control over life, the tao, the infinite, our bodies. We have actually have no control whatsoever. There is no such thing as control. Shunryu summed up Buddhism thusly; Everything Changes.

And of course, if everything changes, nothing remains the same. If nothing remains the same, nothing is what is was, or will be. What does it matter, though, in what context do these words give meaning to our lives, and if they do not, what is the value of utilizing them?

My thrust is this: Words create meaning, without words meaning exists independently. Independent meaning does not rely on justification or explantation. Meaning just is, as we are, infinitely complex, always changing.

Why assimilate into specific practice? I would say because by doing so you create form around nothing, and with this form you can peak into the nothing and understand what it is. A friend commented that she thought samsara and nirvana are the same. In Zen, maybe this is so, because Zen is the unity of all things. In Christianity, Heaven and Hell must be separated for the theology to create meaning in the minds of the saved. Without this separation, the Christian reward of heaven has no meaning. So without this construct of heaven and hell firmly in place, there is no meaning behind Jesus Christ sacrificing himself for the world's sin. Without sin, the whole thing falls apart as well. So without these words, and the serious implications they imply for you and I, none of this would exist. So Language creates all of our systems, and binds us to them.

Sometimes it feels good to get outside of language. Become a natural mystic. Feel the present moment through my bones and in the breeze. There is nothing that is not natural in this world, nothing that comes from nothing. When you see the world in a dewdrop, you have achieved something. When you see yourself in another person, you have achieved something. When you forget yourself in samadhi, you have started down a path. When there is nothing left to lose you may have understood something worthwhile. When love ceases to be a heart and becomes the glue, then life has meaning. But before meaning, understanding. The natural mystic opens the body and spirit to the everything. The understanding is primal, pre-language, pre-evolution, pre-birth. The patterns coalesce to illuminate but can only be glimpsed if the natural mystic resides inside. The natural mystic is the seed of humanity.

If Time & Space cease to be the factors that determine life's choices, what happens?

But then again, that's all a bunch of hokey pokey. Today is a beautiful day, and I can't wait to enjoy a walk down to the river.

Which way does the sun go?

We harvest the sunrays and forget about the past

We move on and on and on into the next moment

We let our bodies rest, eat, defecate

One day we see that sand is Miraculous

One day we see that there is

Nothing

That is not Amazing

The cats rest by our feet and face

The sunrays kiss our cheeks and burn our arms

One day we become sick and become afraid that there is

Nothing

That will not end it death

Our bodies ache, break, die

We let our minds soar, dive, and sleep

The dishes sit in the sink and stay dirty

Summer flies by like a fly in the sky.

The harvest is coming in and the air is becoming cool.

My family hosted a birthday dinner for my sister and I last night and I received a nice stone hammer.

Stone is always on my mind these days, I fear I may be becoming a simpleton.

Stone is second to nothing as a beautiful building material, but it doesn't have possess the flexibility of wood, but is as simple and direct.

Wood as lumber requires extreme attention paid to square, plumb, and flush.

An easier on the heart material provides more flexibility for the populace.

Eat Local Challenge

http://justfood.coop/

Take the Eat Local Challenge!
August 12th, 2008 by Joey

It is estimated that our food travels an average of 1,300 miles from field to fork. Eating food produced locally is often better for you, the environment, small family farmers and the local economy. But where do you start if you’d like to adopt a more regional diet? You can begin by taking the Eat Local Challenge from August 15-September 15.

How do I do it?

For the third year in a row, Just Food Co-op is challenging community members to eat 80 percent of their diet –that’s four out of five ingredients–from food produced in the five-state region for four weeks. Those taking the 80% challenge are Leading Locavores. Folks not quite ready to do 80% can still take the Challenge by becoming Local Learners. Local Learners pledge to eat five local meals per week. Anyone taking the challenge at either level can sign up at Just Food Co-op. The first 150 people to sign up will receive a free “Eat Local America” button.
Who else is participating?
This year, nearly 70 natural food co-ops across the nation are hosting their own Eat Local Challenges based on Just Food’s model. You can find more information on the Eat Local America Challenge at www.eatlocalamerica.coop. Just Food Co-op labels its locally produced foods to make them easier to find, and the Farmers Market and CSA farms are other great places to find local fare. Many local restaurants are also seeking local sources for their ingredients so they can support local farmers. Ask at your favorite restaurant to find out if they have local ingredients.
I need suggestions and inspiration!
In order to help inspire those who accept the Challenge, Just Food will have menu ideas available at the store and host a variety of events throughout the four weeks. You’ll find a complete schedule of events below. The Eat Local Challenge will kick off with a free showing of the documentary “Tableland” on Friday, August 15 at 7 p.m. in the Just Food Event Space, 516 Water Street S. in downtown Northfield. Please preregister by stopping in at the store or calling 507-650-0106. Those attending the film showing will enjoy a sampling of local treats available at Just Food.


FREE EVENTS DURING THE CHALLENGE:
Film Showing: Tableland
Don’t miss this beautiful documentary that celebrates the relationships that flourish around local food. Local snacks provided to those who preregister. Film runs approximately 75 minutes.
When: Friday, August 15, 7-8 p.m.
Cost: No charge. Please preregister at Just Food Co-op
Location: In the Just Food Event Space, 516 Water St. S.
Class: (Preregistration required- ask a cashier for details)
How to Eat Locally and In Season All Year Long
Olivia Frey will discuss how she prepares fruits, herbs, and vegetables by drying, freezing, and canning so they will last all year.
When: Wednesday, August 20, 7-8:30 p.m.
Cost: No charge. Please preregister at Just Food Co-op
Location: In the Just Food Event Space, 516 Water St. S.
Presentation: (Preregistration required- ask a cashier for details)
Local Longer: What can Northfield do to extend the growing season?
Join Angel Dobrow, Mary Ellen Frame, and Kathy Zeman as they provide information on the status of the Community Kitchen, the future of hoop houses (a structure that works as a greenhouse), and a model community root cellar. Facilitated by Erin Barnett.
When: Tuesday, August 26, 7-8:30 p.m.
Cost: No charge. Please preregister at Just Food Co-op
Location: In the Just Food Event Space, 516 Water St. S.
Book Discussion: The End of Food
Read the book “The End of Food,” then join Azna for a lively discussion.
When: Thursday, September 11, 7-8 p.m.
Cost: No charge. Please preregister at Just Food Co-op
Location: In the Just Food Event Space, 516 Water St. S.
Harvest Festival: September 13!
Celebrate fall and your success in taking the Eat Local Challenge in the Just Food parking lot on Saturday, September 13 from 11-2 for our Harvest Festival. You’ll enjoy live music, meet local producers and taste their delicious products, make your own crop art, pet a goat and more!
Posted in Co-op News, Eat Local

cool beans

some pictures of work

the day is almost over

the night sits carefully by my side, watching, waiting
my tireless belly grumbles
we have new salad greens soaking in the sink, bitter mustard greens and lettuce
a drop of sweat on my brow

we wait until the car starts, and the journey toward the end begins

Car crash

Well, I was in a fender bender yesterday and it freaked me out a bit. I smashed up the front of our car right good, and it is relatively undrivable now. The other car had a slight dent in it's bumper. Tells you how tough Ford escorts are. So we get to search for a new car. I'm just trying to relax and let things flow.

Anybody have a good used station wagon they want to sell?

Solstice

We had a wonderful solstice weekend. Thank you for enjoying it with us, it meant a lot to us.

The conversation was good, the weather was unbelievable, the water was clear, but the drive and mosquitoes sucked. I loved having everyone around and the food worked itself out and the beer was just enough. Thank you to all those who played music and sang and played games and enjoyed the plants and animals.

We were replenished and relaxed and intoxicated. The weekend went as well as it could have. A few folks missed out, but perhaps next year they can come.

We are planning on having a harvest festival on my 30th birthday party. Please come again and we will sample the fruits of the garden and enjoy the end of summer.

action, love

Life continues. Action leads to results. Love is the glue that binds life to action. We move on, the sun shines, work demands attention, bones become weary.

Some songs need to be sung. Some days need to be slept through. Sometimes food needs to be savored.

Today I want to savor life. I need to resolve not to rush by or ignore it. Fear creates blinders and defense behaviors that degrade love. Love deserves more then what fear offers.

Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer started a movement

Which is more than I can say about Al Franken. Jack lost the DFL nomination yesterday, but I think he won the hearts of many people who are looking for a voice of compassion, reason, and hope, a voice that is missing in our current political milieu. I volunteered for Jack's campaign because I thought he could help create a better America. A better America has got to be the goal of our political system, not this run-of-the-mill baloney that is the current modus operandi of the entrenched majority of those operating in the our government's hallways. We need visionaries to carry us forward through times that are inevitably going to be tough, through periods of our history that will call for inspired, rational, and compassionate leadership. Meanwhile, we are surrounded by those who think tomorrow will be exactly the same as today, a tragic fallacy that will perhaps doom us to become a society that will not stop our consumption of all the resources of the planet until the last drop of clean water has kissed the lips of the aristocracy. So we continue on through this fog of general ignorance and try to make a difference, because otherwise we know the world will continue to worsen: people will continue to starve, wars will rage across devastated landscapes, species will become extinct, and our economic security blanket will turn to rags and all our current riches will be illuminated as garbage.

Jack has started and sustained a progressive movement that will become a network of strength throughout Minnesota in our troubled time. There is nothing stronger and more stable then a grassroots movement, and we must continue to talk about the issues and join together when we can to create a better country. We must weave our lives together to become a fabric of peace in this world, in order to sustain life itself, and not give in to the violent mindset that is overtaking our society. I'm always amused by the term "Peace Activist" because I feel like the media is describing some sort of strange creature covered in peace buttons and frothing at the mouth, but in all reality I feel that we all want peace to some degree, deep down inside us. As the Buddhist monk and "Peace Activist" Thich Nhat Hanh says, "Peace is every step" and we all certainly took a few steps toward peace in the last few months, and we can continue taking our small steps of peace every moment, and every day.

I am not a Chicken Little, I am just a little chicken. I could have done more. I could have talked to more people about why I support Jack. Mostly I just wondered about why people were supporting Franken. I now see that the problem is that most people vote their identity, most people vote for who they think supports their values. So someone like Franken, who is a rich and famous TV star, connects with the deep-seated desires of the populace who would also like to become rich and famous, and they look on wealth and fame as an indicator of worth, in that if you have wealth and fame you are a better person then other lesser people. Am I being cynical or just cutting to the heart of the beast? I stood next to people at the convention who cackled like morons at every little joke that Al made, and I felt like they must live on another planet, spend time in different dimensions then I. I wasn't about to elect a man that made me feel comfortable and relaxed in a phony sort of way, I wanted a candidate that understood the issues deeply and was going to make the world better. I supported Jack because he understood the issues better, he most closely aligned with my values, and I identified with him as a person, especially as a spiritual man who has grown up in Minnesota and understands the environment we live in and the people who live here. I did not agree with Al's stance on the issues, did not align myself with his values, nor did I identify with him as a New York celebrity who just recently moved to Minnesota to bitch about neo-cons on Air America.

So now the Republican, Neo-Cons, Religious Right, and so forth are going to go apeshit on Al's ass. I mean, this is the kind of election that will make you throw out your TV and move to the wilderness, because it isn't going to be pretty. The Republicans have as much bad material on a Democratic candidate as they have ever wanted, even if it is mostly fluff and stupid jokes. The more you see the fluff and stupid jokes in the media, the more you will wonder why you, Minnesota DFLers, endorsed Al for Senate.

In all reality, I saw Jack as my last hope as a reformer of a system that is corrupt, unfair, and unbalanced, and without him in the race I do not see positive change happening in the future. I am fed-up with people who do not use their minds to understand the world and how it works, and just go with their feelings and inclinations. Comfort and security only get you so far, and then you have to open your eyes and understand that everything you ever thought is nonsense, and after you awake from ignorance you have to fight for peace and justice. We need to create a Green Economy now, in order to sustain our lifestyles and the planet, and to give us the platform on which we can work toward peace in the world. But the platform on which we stand must be constructed now, because the land on which we walk and work is slowly sinking into a giant sinkhole, a sinkhole that has been created by us. When we can't afford to even fill our gas tank, or buy enough food to feed our families, or turn on the lights at night, by God we will have a hard time working for peace in the world, with empty bellies and darkness all around us.

Peace and Justice, Building a Green Economy, Universal Single-Payer Healthcare...these issues are definitely not side issues, Mr Franken, as you may or may not understand. These are the fundamental building blocks of our very lives, of life on this planet. I issue to you, Al Franken, on behalf of myself and any other progressive DFLers who feel disenfranchised with the way that the DFL endorsement went down ; the way that you used your insider contacts as a fundraiser and political talk-show host to gain a competitive edge over a more Wellstone-like opponent (you know, an underdog?), or the way that you appeared on the Letterman show and used that spot as a national showcase of your campaign ad; a challenge that must be met. You are the DFL candidate for Senate, and in essence you are representing all of the people who worked so hard on Jack's campaign because of their sincere hope that a Senator could actually work hard for peace and justice, a green economy, and universal healthcare, amongst other essential issues. I challenge you to really take on Wellstone's mantle and be a candidate like Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, who is passionate about the essential issues that will affect us all dramatically in the near future, and have been affecting people all over the world for a very long time. If you can do this, if you can get over your own fame and fortune, then maybe you can actually be a Senator from and for Minnesota.

Digging In

Check out our new blog, I'll be posting there mostly this summer.

digging-in.blogspot.com

why or because

I've been thinking a lot about simple concepts lately, like "home" and "friendship". It seems that the simpler the concept the vaguer the framework can be, yet the simpler the concept the more important it is in the context of life itself. The simple concept of home can encompass so many types of structures and areas that it simply boggles the mind. The term "ecology" comes from the greek word "oikos" which means "home" and "ology" the study of. So the idea is that the earth is our basic home, and on it we create different areas and structures that we call home, but in all reality the earth is the basic home of life. I see contentment and peace in those who have come to understand this basic premise. The earth is where our specific brand of life has evolved. "Evolution" is such a simple concept, such an elegant theory. It stand alone as perhaps the most important theory to grasp in order to really understand what life is all about. Maybe this is why fundamentalist have no grasp on reality. Nevertheless, evolution explains how we have come to this miraculous place in the history of the planet, but it doesn't explain why exactly. But the question of why is amorphous. There are no why's in the world, there is just because. Things happen and things don't happen. The why question is the greatest fallacy mankind has conjured from the depths of nothing. The why question is the question that creates religion and war. So I'd like to forget about the why and focus on the because. Things pass along into the river, but the river doesn't tell you why, plants sprout and die, but there is no reasoning behind it all. Life is itself and answer to nonlife.

Speaking of life, I have to go to work now. We're starting a job in Stillwater today. Hope the weather holds and the job is pleasant.

the time is nigh

Yes the time grows nigh to plant our seedlings. The May weather is fickle and strange, but we persevere. Hopefully after next week there will not be a late killing frost up north. This is all we can hope for.

Spring is melting into summer and work is going well. I need more showers then normal. I've worn out a pair of gloves.

I need to go refresh my kombucha mother now. Peace

Birthday

It's the SO's birthday on Friday, and we and a friend are going to go to the Friends School sale and get some precious little plants. Then we are going to go to a baby goat and duckling party in Wisconsin, and then up north to prepare the garden for the summer. We have big and exciting plans. Hopefully i will be able to keep you posted.

Local Roots just finished up my friend JB and JSP's place a few days a go. We did a boulder wall and mulch patch, and we will be installing shrubs soon. I like how it turned out. It was the first project we did for my friends so I was really nervous because I wanted everything to go perfectly, and I hope they like the results. It's definitely a transformed yard.

Will update with photos later when my camera has some batteries.

My car smells like Egyptian walking onions

and I don't care! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Our friend JB is in the hospital again for another round of Interleukin-2 treatment. His last experience there wasn't particularly pleasant, and I ask all of those people who read this to send good vibes, to pray, to meditate, to do whatever you can do to send healing energy his way as he lays in the hospital receiving medications.

We love you JB and Jason and hope to see you soon.


"Outside, the freezing desert night.
This other night inside grows warm, kindling.
Let the landscape be covered with thorny crust.
We have a soft garden in here.
The continents blasted,
cities and little towns, everything
become a scorched, blackened ball.

The news we hear is full of grief for that future,
but the real news inside here
is there's no news at all.

*

Friend, our closeness is this:
anywhere you put your feet, feel me
in the firmness under you.

How is it with this love,
I see your world and not you?

*

Listen to presences inside poems,
Let them take you where they will.

Follow those private hints,
and never leave the premises."

-Rumi

Plastic water bottles can cause cancer

April 22, 2008
WELL
A Hard Plastic Is Raising Hard Questions

By TARA PARKER-POPE
Are toxic plastics lurking in your kitchen?

It’s a question many families are asking after reports last week that a chemical used to make baby bottles, water bottles and food containers is facing increasing scrutiny by health officials in Canada and the United States.

The substance is bisphenol-a, or BPA, widely used in the making of the hard, clear and nearly unbreakable plastic called polycarbonate. Studies and tests show that trace amounts of BPA are leaching from polycarbonate containers into foods and liquids.

While most of the focus is on products for children, including clear plastic bottles and canned infant formula, the chemical is also used in food-storage containers, some clear plastic pitchers used for filtered water, refillable water bottles and the lining of soft-drink and food cans.

While there is debate about how much of a health worry BPA really is, retailers including Wal-Mart have said they are withdrawing baby products made with it. Nalgene, the maker of a popular sports bottle, and the baby-products maker Playtex have announced they will stop using it.

Here are answers to some common questions about BPA.

What is the evidence that BPA is harmful?

It all comes from animal studies. Rat pups exposed to BPA, through injection or food, showed changes in mammary and prostate tissue, suggesting a potential cancer risk. In some tests of female mice, exposure appeared to accelerate puberty.

A draft report from the National Toxicology Program, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, notes that there is no direct evidence that human exposure to BPA harms reproduction or infant development. “I don’t think there’s anything in this brief that should lead to alarm,” said Dr. Michael D. Shelby, director of the Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction, who oversaw the report. “It means we’ve got a limited amount of evidence from some studies that were done in laboratory animals.”

The main concern is the possible risk to infants and pregnant women, although Canada has begun a study to monitor BPA exposure among about 5,000 people to assess any danger to adults.

More here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/22/health/22well.html?em&ex=1209096000&en=8a1d4bc01b9099f4&ei=5087%0A