Summer has arrived here on the farm. We watched the hay being cut and baled. We picked strawberries. We caught frogs and minnows at the pond and had bonfires. We laid in the hammock and read in the treehouse. Every day is full of special, simple moments. I do not take this life for granted.
The world is a heavy place. I see extremists with power imposing their vision on society–regardless of the beliefs citizens hold. Whether it’s Russia with the Ukraine, the US with guns and abortion, Canada with Indigenous peoples, or pretty much every society with climate change, people who hold power are using old and extremely narrow thinking to make decisions for today.
Most people look to the future. What do I want to be? How can I do better? We must fight to make sure our countries do the same. Society must progress. We must recognize the wrongs that have been done and correct them. People’s and the planet’s welfare should be a priority. We must treat each other fairly.
This is the world I’m trying to build at the farm. My actions are reading, learning, listening, voting, writing and speaking about my values, being an example for Ellie, respecting and trying to repair the land where I live, and living each day with love and joy as much as I possibly can.
Here are some links from this month that made me laugh, made me think and made me remember.
“We tend to disconnect the digital world from the physical world… But the surveillance that you don’t notice tends to be far more insidious than the one that you do.” Making the case for better digital privacy
I’ve waterskied since I could walk, and it’s a highlight of my summer. This video brought back good memories and made me laugh.
“You better come quick ’cause there’s a hippo in the bathtub. And it’s going down the drain, oh no it’s gone.” Anne Murray. Sharon, Lois & Bram. Raffi. I downloaded my childhood soundtrack for Ellie.
An illuminating, personal look into Julia Child
“The less you disturb the top layer of your soil, the fewer weeds you will have.” Some encouragement and advice for the battle against garden weeds
“One day, you’ll leave this world behind so live a life you will remember.” My father told me.
This week is 4 years since my Dad died. I was having a hard time on Sunday, and The Nights came on at exactly the right time. Life is precious. Don’t let it slip away.
Home on 129 Acres 
The world……yes. Awhile ago you wrote a post on climate change, and I wrote a huge long reply. Because it was on my phone, I had to save it to comment later on my laptop (for some reason I can’t comment on your blog from my phone.) When I reread it, I thought “It’s too dark! I can’t post it to a mother of a young child who’s already all too aware of these issues.” So yeah, that’s where I am….
The world you create on your farm is so important for many reasons. There’s the land itself, and the infinite value in protecting and preserving it. And there’s the childhood you are creating for Ellie. Every single child we can give a trauma-free childhood to, other than the regular trials and tribulations that are inescapable when one is human, is potentially a future citizen who will have the inner strength to do the hard things that are needed at that time. We have definitely entered a dark time in history. But every dark time has its warriors for good, and I think this is one of the ways we can allow that potential to be realized in these littles that we love more than life itself.
Thank you for finding the bright. Ellie is a light every day, and I hope that I can continue to build that for her. You and I share a lot of our perspective on society and philosophy of life. I appreciate your support.