ARJUNA

Our friend, Arjuna da Silva, lives at Earthaven, an aspiring ecovillage in a mountain forest setting near Asheville, North Carolina. Everyone living there is dedicated to caring for people and the Earth by learning, living, and demonstrating a holistic, sustainable culture.  Arjuna helped start Earthaven in 1994, where she’s lived for the past twelve years.  She just moved into her earth & straw temple of a house there. Everyone who knows this beautiful woman over 50, celebrates her spirit.  Here is what she has to share…

ARJUNA'S HOME

Originally, I wanted to write a piece about what a joke it is to work my way through a day of living on the land, off the grid, learning to grow food, and recycling my waste into valuable (fertilizer) resources.  But after several tries, I realized those choices deserve much more credit and that my inner voice is the one who’d rather let someone else do all the hard stuff.

So, yes, I do start my day by (sometimes anxiously) checking the meter to see how my batteries held up overnight storing solar-accessed electric power; and I do pay attention to the weather report regarding the day’s anticipated power access.  I even pay attention to the calendar that tells me if the stars would treat my tomato seedlings better today than if I waited to plant them on Friday.

When I first started to write this piece, I called my draft, A Drop in the Bucket, intending to convey the double meaning of the “sustainable” life I choose to live.

• Meaning 1: peeing and pooping in containers so those resources can be utilized as soil amendments (instead of depending on fertilizers that have to be bought and shipped, possibly scraped off another part of the earth).
• Meaning 2: then there’s the more cynical reference being the effort us folk (who live in this valley) put into recycling, preserving, using renewables, etc., which is just a drop in the regional (let alone global) bucket.

ARJUNA ON THE LAND

But, today I’d rather tell you I’ve found ways to minimize the things I don’t like (carrying what’s too heavy, smelling what’s too foul, etc.), and feel pretty happy refining my rugged life into something that even fussy people might be able to handle.  In fact, I’m thinking others might choose this path if they could feel the inner rewards that come from paying attention to what we do and what we use to do it.

The  choice to take risks (as if anyone lives without them) and move in what looks like “the right direction” for oneself, one’s neighborhood or the planet, is such an uplifting choice!  The experience of following through on the nitty-gritty details of trial and error with new systems and organic self-reliance is exhilarating at times and is mostly just deeply satisfying.  Maybe you’d like to try it?

Please post your questions and comments here so we can have an open discussion.  Arjuna’s workshop, “Your Enneagram and Your Sub-Personalities” airs August 10-21 at Earthaven.  For more information, please email: arjuna@earthaven.org.  All power to the people!  Make your own, grow your own, and use your own!

THE ROAD TO EARTHAVEN

Annice

There it is – I said it: I don’t garden.  Never did.  Don’t want to, don’t have time to, don’t want to make the time – until l I retire – maybe.  I know gardening is the favorite past-time of baby boomers, but I’m just not that into it.   I dreamed my house was surrounded by beautiful plants and flowers blooming all about, bordered by superbly arranged hedges brilliantly designed by a landscape architect (green, of course).

My Dream

But the truth is, I’d rather do yoga, read a book, walk my dog, work on my novel, or plan a dinner party.

I wish my house had a vegetable garden with a variety of edible plants right outside my door.  And I would love to walk outside swinging a basket in my arms to gather strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, and watercress, but then again, I’d have to sow in order to reap.  Last year, my dear friend and expert gardener Sadhvi, helped me grow various lettuces and herbs in potted plants for my deck.  She educated me and set me up, and I’ll be darned if I didn’t have lettuce and herbs all summer long.  But now, I can’t even get it together to do that.  So, I went to the garden shop and bought colorful plants (don’t ask me what they are) and I will re-pot them and display them on my deck so I can sit and relax in the privacy of my home.

Front yard

By the way, I must also confess that my yard needs a ton of work.  I looked on the HGTV site to see if by chance I could nominate myself for an extreme outdoor makeover but couldn’t find that option on the website.  I’m so desperate.  If you know of a contest for outdoor landscaping, please let me know.  You see, I live on a mountain, so I’ve convinced myself and everyone else that I don’t need any landscaping because I’m a firm believer in the school of “natural habitat.” In case you’re thinking, OMG, I’m so glad I don’t live next to her, you can’t see my house from the road.  It’s down a big hill (the one my husband slipped on during the snow storm in January and broke his hip), and no one can see it.

Back yard

Last year's deck - will try again

Annice

Sending a Shout-Out to our beautiful women over 50 who’ve been asking about writing a post on the oops50.com blog.

We invite you (all women over 50) to share your stories and experiences with our readers.  We know there are tons of subjects you care about because we know, like us, you never tire of speaking your mind!  And, don’t forget to ask your mothers, sisters, cousins, friends, colleagues, etc.  We all have intriguing and important stories to tell.   We’ll take your article (not more than 250 words) and we’ll edit it, post it, and promote it.

Some of favorite categories are: Friendship,  Aging parents, Children/Grandchildren; Cooking; Gardening; Pets;  Relationships; Health and Wellness; Spirituality; Menopause; Sleep (or the lack of); Work; Retirement (I wish); Starting Over; Books; Films; and of course, if you are inspired, you can always write about Death and Taxes.

If you’re interested, please contact me at: Annice@oops50.com and I’ll send you our guidelines.

I’m all Ears

Sadhvi

I didn’t think I could fit in any fall planting this year in my garden.  I went back and forth quite a bit in my head until a couple of weeks ago, there was a moment out of time where I found myself cleaning up a few beds and amending the soil with some composted manure without much effort. 

Sadhvi's October White Zinnia

Sadhvi's Favorite Salads for Fall

Often, I will make a big thing out of something that really does not take much time…it just has to BE the right time, the right moment!  I watered the beds well, and waited a few days until I sprinkled a mixture of leftover lettuce seed packets over them.  I did want some collards and didn’t have any seed, so I bought a 6 pack of starts for $2.39, planted them, and well, that was easy!   

"Firecracker vine"

Sadhvi's Fall Garden 2

Sadhvi's Pink Zinnia in October

Sadhvi

 As a woman over 50, I do notice myself becoming lazier as a gardener.  It’s as if I conserve my movements and tasks to adjust to where my body is now.  I still shift into automatic, where time just is, and my body is in motion with no sense of hurt or pain or overexertion.  I am just more like a slow-moving dancer, instead of a fast-moving one!  If I am sore the next day, that’s Ok, since my love of gardening will never fade; and I figure that’s what Epsom salt foot baths are for!  

Where I live, summer is officially over.  The leaves are falling, and the color of the sun feels more golden, like honey.  But the temperatures are still hitting the upper 80′s, and I still have the fans running.

Sadhvi's Quan Yin & Cosmos

It’s been such a hot summer with temperatures above normal that I am not feeling too melancholic about it slipping away this year.  Twice I had friends knock on our front door to escape the heat from where they live an hour south.  The night temperatures did not change much here, but where they came from, they didn’t change at all, they said!    

Sadhvi's Sally Chicken

With summer fading, I went out to take some pictures of what is still flowering.  And to show you a picture of one of our 11 hens, all named “Sally”, after my Mom.  It’s so funny to yell, “Sally” and see the whole bunch running fast towards me…it makes me laugh every time.  Well, I hope you are enjoying the shifting of the seasons, wherever you are.  Oh, and Happy Fall!    

Sadhvi's Everbearing Raspberries!

Sadhvi’s Sunset Torchflower

   

Annice

If you’re thinking about a trip to the beautiful mountains of Asheville, NC,  think about the week of September 20-26th.  It’s Active Aging Week, and the theme is:  Be Active Your Way. The Center for Creative Retirement at The University of North Carolina  (www2.unca.edu/nccr/) will participate by hosting Active Aging Day, a free series of activities, lectures, and displays on Saturday, September 25^th, at The Reuter Center on the UNCA campus from 9 am until 4 pm.  Mid-day keynote speaker will be James Laditka, MD from UNC Charlotte. Dr. Laditka will talk about The Brain Initiative.  Activities will be held throughout the day and include things such as Zumba, Fun With Words & Games, Tai Chi, Line Dancing, Nia, and Laughter Yoga. Lectures will be held on topics such as “The Benefits of Exercise,” “Gardening for Your Health,” “Food for Your Brain,” and “Hiking the Blue Ridge.”  Talk about aging gracefully!

Unfortunately, I can’t go because I’ll be visiting my sister in New Mexico, but if I was here, I’d sure be soaking in all the free activities – “Laughter Yoga” is my favorite pick.

If you go and want to write about your experience, send it to us, and we’ll post it.

Sadhvi

Every year, I like to pick one plant to grow in my summer garden that is different, an ”exotic”,  just so I can experience the taste of that particular fruit or vegetable right off the vine.  So growing next to the usual tomatoes, swiss chard, lettuce, basil, carrots, beets, fennel and figs, this year’s  “exotic” is a cantaloupe called Hearts of Gold.  I love that name, and found the seeds in my local health food store from a local seed seller, called Sow True Seed.  And yes, I do believe in buying local!

I plant everything based on the planting guide of Maria Thun’s BioDynamic calendar.  I cannot imagine gardening without it.  I even get my hair cut according to this calendar! If you don’t know about this, you really should try it because it really does make a difference.  

So growing vertically along the fence that surrounds my raised beds was the cutest plant with yellow flowers that became little baby rounds that soon in this record-breaking summer heat became heavy and firm cantaloupes.  I was thrilled to watch them grow, I was thrilled to bring it in when it fell from the vine into my hands, and I was thrilled to taste it…it was like eating warm sunbeams with a sweet taste and heavenly aroma.  Ahh, summer!

Sadhvi's First Cantalope

Sadhvi

It’s the 4th of July tomorrow, so before the summer is over, I want to share some pictures of the poppies that came up this spring in my garden.  I think I might have one or two that are blooming right now, but most are gone.  I’ve seen a couple of birds eating the seeds out of the pods, which helps the seeds to spread.   I always save some seeds to give to others…there is always more than enough poppy seeds to go around!

I picked my favorite pictures so I hope you enjoy them.  For me, having some joy in my life is important.  I don’t think I would be still around at 52 if I didn’t!  So I have planted my garden only with the flowers that make me happy.  It’s one of the main reasons that I love living in Western North Carolina.  It has such a long growing season.  Oh, one of the best sources of poppy seeds to plant is the online store onestoppoppyshoppe.  Seriously, this is the place to go and get you some poppy seeds!  They have an amazing selection…just looking through their online store is a simple delight!

So, on with the show…it really was a spectacular season of poppies! 

Pink Poppy

Purple Poppy

Watermelon Poppy

  

White Mauve Poppy

Red Orange Oriental Poppy

Double Red Poppies

 

 

Poppy close up

Oriental Poppies Group Shot

Poppy and Calendula

Sadhvi

Where I live in Western North Carolina, this past winter has been unbearable in that there has not been a lot of sun, something I really need.  Some might say that the snow has been too much, but I happen to like snow.  There is a certain stillness and quiet that comes with snow that I find calming and nurturing.  I don’t really mind the cold either, because as a gardener, I know that it’s good for a lot of things, like killing off bad bugs and poison ivy.  And besides, the old farmers that I sometimes run into driving their tractors with their well-worn overalls on say so!

I also like being in a place that has winter because I can rest from the garden fever that I get during the growing season.  Every year, without fail, I have to fight the urge to start growing everything right about now.  Magically, just a few days ago, I woke up to birds singing and I knew that the green has been awakened from its winter sleep.  Everything feels different now.  I always act calm and disinterested when the seed catalogs start coming, which this year was not too hard because they started coming around Christmas!  But just a few sunny days with temperatures in the 50’s like it’s been, and I find myself drawing on a piece of scrap paper what I imagine the garden to be this year.

Sadhvi

Today is the annual Blog Action Day www.blogactionday.org held every October 15th uniting the world’s bloggers and their posts on the same issue,  the same day, with the aim of sparking discussion of global importance.  Blog Action Day 2009 will be one of the largest-ever social change events on the web.  This year, it’s all about Climate Change.  And this is what I have to say about it:

Yes the climate is changing.  But really, so is everyone and everything including me.  Every second really.  I think the climate was always changing…and the whole planet, since the beginning of time, for that matter.  But these days there seems to be not only a question, but a movement regarding how to stop it.  The changes happening are pretty apparent to me, and I do believe that by 2012 things will be even more so.  There are lots of opinions and of course very strong feelings on both sides.  I have family members who don’t think there is any climate change happening.  I have other friends who are stock piling again (remember Y2K?) so that when the end comes, they will have food.  I don’t want to get into who is right and who is not, because there is no right or wrong.  You have some things that, if easy, might be something that you want to have some fun with.  After all, life is for learning and as a human being who has a certain awareness level that is more than a slug, these 3 things might be something to try, and will actually help to emit less carbon omissions in the process!

1.  GROW SOME OF YOUR OWN FOOD!!!  If you have some dirt, or some space for  pots on your balcony, you should try gardening. It’s actually more addicting and satisfying than FaceBook.

 2.  EAT 3 MEALS AND DO NOT EAT AT ANY FAST FOOD PLACES!!! Ok, you have to work 2 jobs, you’re having a hard time making ends meet, and you think you have to eat fast food because you have no time to cook. Wrong! Fast Food is not good food for your body, it is expensive, and it will not be satisfying. So eat a breakfast, pack a lunch, and sit down and eat some dinner, hopefully cooked by someone who loves you.

 3.) And the last is easy, if you are lucky enough to be in a town that has access to local organic farms and food like I do: BUY LOCAL and become a LOCOVORE!!!

Hello, and welcome to my first post on the Oops50 blog.  My name is Sadhvi, and I want to share secret recipes, things that are useful, and things that make me happy.
At this time of year, something that will make me happy very soon is one of my favorite flowers, the poppy!

I have hundreds of them that are getting ready to open.  And I can’t wait.  Even saying their names (like “Early Grey” and “Watermelon”) makes me smile.

I love looking at poppies.  Maybe it’s because they are so shy and unassuming before they open up.  I almost don’t even see the buds!  Maybe it’s because they don’t last for long.  Or maybe it’s because each one makes me stop and be filled with wonder and awe.

The anticipation is a wonderful experience…that’s the great aspect of planting from seed!  I like to take pictures of my poppies so that when I share the seeds with family and friends, they know what to expect.

These wonderful flowers are so special that everyone should have some in their garden.  Like any flower or living thing, if you give them what they need, they will flourish.
Here is a site where you can order your seeds.  Julia is the owner, and she loves poppies the way I do. Take a look at her site and her fantastic assortment and start your own poppy collection in your garden!

http://www.OneStopPoppyShoppe.com