Ideology is too narrow

Jack Leahy: [All ideologies seek to] contain the uncontainable cosmos in rational, propositional thought in order to fix it. But the cosmos and the earth are not flawed systems that can be reduced to their atomic parts and then rebuilt perfectly to our own ever-changing and unstable desires. In our attempt, we must reduce the mind-boggling complexity and vastness of reality to a set of knowable propositions. Everything, therefore, will be reduced in order to be comprehended.

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“The Deer’s Cry”, Arvo Pärt

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.

Jack Leahy:

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.