I’ve decreased my Spotify usage this year—moving more toward Bandcamp, vinyl, and even CDs. That said, this top five sounds right for Spotify listening. If you were to include those other listening methods, Heilung might take the top spot.
Distraction is nothing other than a way to avoid, in the short term, the radical discomfort of the necessary spiritual growth beyond this predicament. Distraction is now a very normal way of negotiating life.
Good news: Tribes celebrate plan to remove dams on Klamath. “The Klamath salmon are coming home,” Yurok Chairman Joseph James said in a statement after the vote.
Floofy Pie
Rachel and I made Julia Child’s “Fluffy Pumpkin Pie”—which will forevermore be called Floofy Pie in our house. Rachel used Julia Child’s pie crust recipe and it was outstanding. We used fresh pumpkin instead of canned and this, I believe, was the source of the only problem we had: too much liquid. The pie did firm up but the bottom crust wasn’t as dry as we’d like. Cooked, not raw, but also not dry.
Looking through this book again, which has been and remains influential on me (despite now falling into the “other aliens” side of the title). To me, religion loses its life precisely when it shifts from the prophetic to the institutional mode. Stringfellow explains why.
Preparing for winter
A few updates on Green Man’s Grotto: We finished all the transplants mentioned here and both of the original raised beds have been doubled in depth. The third, newish raised bed has been cleared of everything except Purple Poppy Mallow (aka, Winecups) at each end. The only thing remaining to be done on the grape arbor is the addition of some trellis on the sides (for plants other than grapes) and painting.
Vermicomposting update
We started vermicomposting sometime in July 2022. We ordered our worms from Uncle Jim’s and set up a bin using a Rubbermaid container. I would definitely recommend that method as an entry point for people. It’s low cost—especially if you have spare Rubbermaid containers sitting around—and it’s a great way to recycle kitchen scraps and junk mail. There are plenty of YouTube videos for reference. Vermicomposting and regular composting use pretty much the same rules on what kitchen scraps can be used.
Want to help regenerate your local ecosystem but circumstances limit what you can do at home? Look for volunteer opportunities with local land trusts or native plant societies. Pick up trash and pull invasive species while hiking. Participate in community gardens.
Helpful video comparing both health benefits and environmental impacts of dairy and plant-based milks. Short answer: if you don’t have any individual conditions that require one over another, oat or soy milk are best.
The “free range fantasy”
Dana O’Driscoll: Another challenge that many of us trying to move into sacred action face is what I call the “free-range fantasy.” In the same way that many people of previous generations were lured into the “white picket fence” narrative in the United States, those interested in sustainable living are often lured into the free-range fantasy today. The narrative goes something like this: You and your perfect partner decide to quit your day jobs, purchase 30 acres in some remote area debt free, and build a fully off-grid homestead complete with solar panels, acres of abundant gardens, fields full of goats, happy free-range chickens, and two cute children covered in strawberry juice.