"P" is for Permaculture -- and Pyrex

Here's the Pyrex...



Now for the Permaculture...

I'm sure you've all noticed the world is a pretty serious place right now. It has been for a long time, actually, but it seems the festering boil is coming to a head. We can no longer afford to ignore or push aside the current concerns of our day, just a few of which include:

• the economy (yes, it is crashing)
• peak oil (yes, we have passed it)
• our dear Mother Earth (yes, we have abused her)
• ongoing violence (yes, we are at war)
  

It's so easy to feel hopeless, to give up, to let someone else work on the problems, and just go to the movies or read People Magazine.

I refuse to give up hope, and am a firm believer that the solution lies in your back yard, your front yard, your kitchen, your home, your community. I just recently stumbled across a book that completely affirms my feelings and my actions, so I'm excited to share it with you. It's called, INDEPENDENCE DAYS: A Guide to Sustainable Food Storage & Preservation.

It's by Sharon Astyk, and she also has a blog that is a must-follow.

This journey I've been on, this sustainable living, growing food, preserving that food, eating local, journey, is what can make the difference to our entire society. Alone, my efforts do not amount to much. But if we all take steps in this direction, we might just stand a chance. Sharon Astyk's words can effectively be your instruction manual, your text book. If I could afford it, I would buy a case of them and hand them out as gifts! But I can't, so please just go to her blog, start clicking around, read some things, and resolve to get started. Make just one change, or two. Start small, but please just start.

I have such a long way to go, but I know I'm making progress. And it's a battle worth fighting.

On that note, Hubby and I have been focusing our efforts on permaculture.

Permaculture is a new concept to many, but it's a concept that will ring true to many following a path similar to mine. Bill Mollison, considered by most to be the father of permaculture, says,

"Permaculture is ... working with nature rather than against nature ... of looking at systems in all their functions rather than asking only one yield of them; and of allowing systems to demonstrate their own evolutions."

I am taking this straight from a book I have been reading, a book called earth user's guide to permaculture by Rosemary Morrow.

I often feel overwhelmed by my tasks at hand, and I think this is natural. But we've all got to start somewhere. In order to help myself, to learn the basic concepts and begin to apply them on this piece of land Mother Earth is so graciously allowing me to use, I have decided to blog about it. Starting today, I am introducing the concept in a very small way, to my small audience of readers.

And in my next entry, I will begin my own "Abecediary of Permaculture." So hold on to your horses and dig in with me. This is what you have in store over the coming months, and it's all starting next time with..... drum roll please.....

"A" is for Alley Cropping

Please stay with me. We all have so much to learn, and the clock is ticking.

In keeping with the general theme of this blog, I close with a picture of another thrift store find. The above pyrex refrigerator dishes and the below pitcher were inexpensive. They are useful, and they add pleasure to my life and to those I share that life with.



Sprinkle bits of joy into your life on a regular basis. And tackle permaculture with me at the same time!

Thanks for reading.